Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Las Vegas, NV
Issued by NWS Las Vegas, NV
747 FXUS65 KVEF 050213 AFDVEF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 615 PM PST Wed Dec 4 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Mild temperatures and dry conditions will persist through the weekend as high pressure remains locked into much of the West under a weak Rex Block Pattern. A weather system will drop southward Monday and drag a backdoor cold front through the region, resulting in a brief cooldown and an uptick in north winds, but dry conditions will continue. && .UPDATE...Temperatures today were warm with highs 10 to 15 degrees above average for early December. This included highs in the upper 60s to low 70s in Las Vegas. Winds were light for most locations, but a pressure gradient between high pressure over northern Nevada and low pressure over Arizona made for breezy northerly winds along the Colorado River. Peak gusts were 35 mph at Bullhead City and 26 mph at Needles. Mostly clear skies are expected tonight with overnight low temperatures about the same as they were this morning. && .DISCUSSION...through next week. Afternoon satellite imagery depicts mostly clear skies across the region as a broad high pressure ridge dominates much of the Western States. The overall pattern resembles a weak Rex Block pattern with a weak low over central Arizona and a stronger high pressure ridge over eastern Oregon, and these general weather features will move little over the coming days. The end result is a continuation of mild temperatures, clear skies, and some modest northerly breezes along the Colorado River Valley, though at least Sunday. By Monday, a stronger shortwave will dig into the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies, while its southern edge will dig south towards the Four Corners region. This inside slider type pattern will mainly result in a drop in temperatures and a resurgence of northerly winds to the region. There remains some uncertainty on the depth of this shortwave which in turn impacts the degree of cooling and magnitude of northerly winds expected, but probabilities for wind gusts exceeding 30 mph are roughly 20 to 40 percent across most of the forecast area, and above 90 percent near Laughlin. Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to drop close to early December normals. Thereafter, confidence is high that high pressure will retain control of much of the West, with dry and mild conditions persisting. The CPC 6 to 10 day outlook advertises above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation continuing into mid December for most of the Southwest. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Light winds following typical daily patterns expected today and tomorrow. Only a ~10% chance of seeing sustained winds reach 10 knots during the daytime hours. Mostly clear skies with just a few high clouds at times. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Most of the area will experience light winds less than 10 knots. Wind direction should follow typical daily patterns at these locations. The exception to all this is KEED and KIFP, where northerly gusts of 15-25 knots are forecast. Winds at these sites will be strongest during the daytime hours. Mostly clear skies across the region with just a few high clouds at times. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && $$ UPDATE...Meltzer DISCUSSION...Outler AVIATION...Woods For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter