Friday showers and storms heading into wet weekend
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Shower and thunderstorm developing this Friday morning in the mountains will continue to grow across the region, heading into a wet weekend. Gusty winds will increase on Friday morning, with a wind advisory taking effect for the afternoon and evening. Cooler temperatures and rain showers will take over, with some snow falling in some higher elevations.
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the southeast highlands and Sawtooth National Forest until midnight due to the chance of some dry and wet thunderstorms and gusty winds.
A very active weather day is on the docket for Friday. Around a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning and early afternoon. A wind advisory will go into effect for the Snake River Plain at noon and will last until 9 pm.
Winds blowing in from the southwest in the afternoon will be around 23 to 28 mph, with gusts up to 35-50 mph in the Snake River Plain. The daytime high will be near 79 under mostly cloudy skies.
The shower chances pick up Friday night, going up to 50 percent overnight under mostly cloudy skies. The low will land around 50. Wind gusts could remain near 39 mph, while overall wind speeds should decrease to 13 to 18 mph.
The rain will continue to fall Saturday morning, with a 90 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Wind gusts will remain above 30 mph, with sustained speeds around 13 to 20 mph. High near 65. Shower chances drop to 30 percent Saturday night with the overnight low around 41.
Some lingering shower chances into Sunday before a warmer week ahead.
…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT
FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 413…
The National Weather Service in Pocatello has issued a Red Flag
Warning for scattered thunderstorms, which is in effect from noon
Friday to midnight MDT Friday night.
* AFFECTED AREA…Fire Weather Zone 422 Sawtooth Range/Northern
Sawtooth NF. Coverage will be highest from near Galena Summit
northward.
* IMPACTS…Critical fire weather conditions are expected.
Lightning may generate new fire starts. Any new fire starts or
existing fires may spread rapidly
* THUNDERSTORMS…A mix of wet and dry thunderstorms with 20 to 35
percent coverage.
* OUTFLOW WINDS…Gusts over 30 mph possible.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will shortly, based on these criteria
for Southeastern Idaho:
– Relative humidity at or below 15 percent and wind gusts of at
least 25 mph in the mountains, or 30 mph in the Snake Plain.
– Thunderstorm coverage of 25 percent, without specific rainfall
criteria.
