Storm chances give way to more sunshine and gusty winds for Sunday

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- Scattered thunderstorms and cooler weather are returning to southern Idaho Saturday night, bringing welcome relief after two consecutive days of record-breaking heat. Temperatures on Saturday afternoon ran 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Friday's highs, setting up a weeklong pattern of daily storm chances across the region.

For Saturday night, shower and thunderstorm chances remain around 40% before 9 p.m., with a slight chance of rain continuing until 11 p.m. Conditions will stay mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 62 degrees and winds shifting from the west to the southeast after midnight.

As an upper-level low pressure system tracks north into Canada, storm coverage will diminish on Sunday, remaining mostly confined to higher elevation terrain. Sunday carries a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., with skies starting partly sunny before becoming fully sunny and afternoon highs reaching near 88 degrees.

Winds outside of storm activity will increase on Sunday afternoon, bringing gusts between 30 and 40 mph across the Snake River Plain, the Arco Desert and parts of the central mountains. Sunday night will turn mostly cloudy with low temperatures around 61 degrees.

Daily chances of showers and thunderstorms are forecast to persist across southern Idaho throughout the coming week due to southwest flow lifting monsoon moisture northward. Afternoon temperatures will briefly rise into the upper 80s on Monday and Tuesday before another low pressure system arriving mid-week brings temperatures back to normal levels through Friday.

Temperatures will continue a weak overall cooling trend through Friday, with high temperatures ranging from 87 to 90 degrees and nighttime lows around 60 degrees.