


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
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361 FXUS65 KPSR 292238 AFDPSR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 338 PM MST Sun Jun 29 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Record highs are expected on Monday with temperatures topping out between 110-117 degrees across the lower deserts. Near record highs will be possible again on Tuesday. Temperatures will decrease to near normal later this week. - Extreme Heat Warnings are in effect for the Phoenix metro today through Tuesday with the warning expanding across the rest of the lower deserts Monday and Tuesday as areas of Major HeatRisk develop. - An influx of monsoonal moisture will lead to increasing chances of showers and thunderstorms from the Tuesday-Thursday time period across portions of AZ, with the best chances for activity confined across the higher terrain areas. && .DISCUSSION... Mid-lvl wv imagery and 500 mb streamline analysis reveals a highly amplified pattern over the western CONUS with a strong ridge of high pressure centered over the AZ/NM border while a deep cutoff low sits off the CA coast. Our forecast area is under the presence of the ridge as 590-592 dam hghts expand across southcentral AZ. These positive hght anomalies have lead to very hot temperatures across the lower deserts this afternoon with highs now exceeding 110F in many locations. Thus, extreme heat will be the main concern today and heading into the beginning of the workweek as lower desert highs reach near record to record levels. The ridge aloft is expected to strengthen further on Monday, peaking at 592-593 dam. 850mb temps will also approach 32-33C across southcentral AZ which will result in sfc highs between 110-117 degrees. For the Phoenix area, there is a high potential (>70%) that a new record high will be set at Phoenix Sky Harbor. The current record for Monday is 115 degrees set in 1979 and 1913. Temperatures on Tuesday are expected to cool by a few degrees, but will still be near record levels for Phoenix around 110-114 degrees. No changes have been made to the Extreme Heat Warning which will continue through Tuesday. The combination of the subtropical high migrating over the the Four Corners Region and the aforementioned cutoff low settling off the southern CA coast will help advect modest amounts of moisture northward early this week. Therefore, an increase in shower and thunderstorm activity is likely beginning as early as Monday afternoon across the eastern Arizona higher terrain areas with coverage increasing each consecutive day through Wednesday. Any storms that do develop over the higher terrain could direct some outflows into the lower deserts beginning Monday evening. The HREF is currently showing a 30-50% probability of winds exceeding 30 kts Monday evening across far E Maricopa and N Pinal Counties. The forecast window for rain chances across southcentral AZ has shifted earlier in the week (Tuesday-Wednesday time period) due to the faster progression of the trough to our west which is forecast to reach AZ on Thursday. NBM PoPs across southcentral AZ have not changed much, ranging from 40-60% across the AZ high terrain to around 20-30% for the lower deserts both days. Moisture levels (PWATs) in the Phoenix area will increase above 1.00" beginning on Tuesday, peaking at around 1.2-1.3" Wednesday before decreasing to around 1.00" by Thursday. Thunderstorms will likely initiate over the high terrain each afternoon, and send outflows into the lower deserts, potentially kicking off additional thunderstorms by the early evening. Forecast soundings show DCAPE values as high as 1500 J/Kg which will result in an environment conducive for strong, gusty outflow winds and blowing dust. As the trough continues to move further inland through much of the Desert Southwest on Thursday, the westerly flow aloft will begin to scour our moisture from W to E, leading to a downward trend in monsoonal thunderstorm activity starting Thursday afternoon into Friday and lasting into next weekend. With the decreasing heights aloft from the incoming trough, temperatures during the middle to latter half of the week are expected to take a noticeable downward trend. Forecast highs by Wednesday are expected to be near normal, before dropping a couple of degrees below normal Thursday and Friday. Thereafter, as the trough lifts away and upper-level height fields start to increase once again by next weekend, temperatures will be on slight upward trend. The good news is that temperatures should remain near normal with no extreme heat conditions expected through the 4th of July Holiday Weekend. && .AVIATION...Updated at 1735Z. South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, KDVT: Westerly winds are forecast at all TAF sites this afternoon with afternoon gusts up to 20 kts at times. Skies will remain mostly clear with FEW clouds around 12-15 kft. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: Westerly winds are likely for KIPL through the period with KBLH seeing light and variable winds with a generally southerly direction during the afternoon/evening hours returning to a westerly direction around 00Z. Skies will remain mostly clear. Lofted smoke/haze may at times lower slantwise visibility during the late afternoon/evening hours, mainly at KIPL. && .FIRE WEATHER... Very hot and dry conditions will persist through Monday as lower desert high temperatures are expected to exceed 110 degrees. MinRH values are expected to range between 5-15% with poor overnight recoveries between 20-35% across most of the area. Low level moisture will improve Tuesday and Wednesday with MinRH values climbing to 20-25% across the eastern districts. The overall wind pattern will follow typical diurnal tendencies with afternoon gusts reaching 20-25 mph at times. There is a 30-50% chance of gusty outflow winds reaching far eastern districts Monday evening. Starting on Tuesday, increasing moisture will lead to higher relative humidities as well as increasing chances for shower and thunderstorm activity across the higher terrain areas. There will be some initial concerns for dry lightning activity before a further increase in moisture levels leads to a better potential for wetting rains later in the week. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...Extreme Heat Warning from 10 AM Monday to 8 PM MST Tuesday for AZZ530>536-538-539-553-554-559. Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM MST Tuesday for AZZ537-540- 542>544-546-548-550-551. Extreme Heat Warning from 10 AM to 8 PM MST Monday for AZZ541- 545-547-549-552-555-556-560>562. CA...Extreme Heat Warning from 10 AM Monday to 8 PM PDT Tuesday for CAZ562-565>567-569-570. && $$ DISCUSSION...Salerno/Lojero AVIATION...Kuhlman/95 FIRE WEATHER...Salerno/Lojero