Sunny Monday follows gusty conditions and cooling temperatures

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- Winds are expected to pick up tonight across the region, bringing gusty conditions and cooler air ahead of a sunny start to the workweek. Tonight will see increasing clouds with a low around 43 degrees and south-southwest winds reaching 16 to 21 mph after midnight, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Monday will be sunny with a high near 65 degrees, accompanied by south-southwest winds between 10 and 18 mph and gusts up to 31 mph.

The breezy weather is being driven by an upper-level low pressure system moving through the Idaho panhandle toward north-central Montana. The passing storm system is triggering windy conditions across the region and bringing a slight chance of light precipitation to the central Idaho mountains and upper Snake River highlands.

Following a brief dip in temperatures early in the week, a steady warm-up will follow. High temperatures across the week will range from approximately 65 to 78 degrees, while low temperatures will range from about 39 to 50 degrees.

Monday night will bring mostly clear skies as low temperatures drop to around 39 degrees. Winds will calm significantly overnight, slowing to 5 to 8 mph before becoming light and variable after midnight.

A warming trend begins Tuesday as a weak high pressure system takes hold. Tuesday is expected to be sunny with a high near 75 degrees and light winds shifting to the west-southwest at around six mph in the afternoon. Skies will remain mostly clear Tuesday night with a low around 46 degrees.

Warm conditions will peak Wednesday with sunny skies and a high near 78 degrees. Overnight lows will drop to around 50 degrees as cloud cover gradually increases.

A second low pressure system moving inland near the Oregon-California border will bring the next round of unsettled weather. Rain and thunderstorm chances enter the forecast starting Wednesday night and last through Thursday night.

Thursday carries a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with partly sunny skies and a high near 77 degrees. Rain and thunderstorm chances increase to 50% Thursday night, along with another period of gusty winds and a low temperature near 48 degrees.

Dry and warm weather returns by the end of the week as high pressure builds behind the passing storm system. Friday and Saturday will both feature sunny skies with highs near 73 degrees, keeping temperatures above normal for mid-September.