983
FXUS65 KVEF 040742
AFDVEF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
1242 AM PDT Fri Jul 4 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Breezy and dry conditions will promote high fire spread
  potential today and tonight.

* Areas of haze and smoke from distant wildfires will spread
  across much of Southern Nevada and California today through the
  weekend.

* Potential for a significant heat wave is increasing from the
  middle of next week into next weekend. This looks to be the
  hottest weather we have seen since last summer.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Wildfire danger will be heightened today due to the combination
of hot, dry and breezy weather, and July 4th activities. See the
Fire Weather discussion below for more details.

Ongoing wildfires across Southern California, most notably the
Madre fire burning north of Santa Maria, will continue to generate
smoke and haze. As southwesterly winds overpread the region today
into the weekend, expect at least patchy smoke and widespread
haze to affect much of adjacent Southern California and Southern
Nevada. This combined with July 4th festivities may result in poor
air quality today through the weekend. Follow the guidance of
local air quality agencies if you have outdoor plans over the
holiday weekend.

As we get into next week, ensembles depict a cutoff low off of
the Southern California coast will gradually retrograde, allowing
a powerful upper ridge of high pressure to build in across the
Four Corners region. This feature will slowly build westward,
becoming positioned over Southern California, Nevada and western
Arizona. Long-range ensembles are rather confident on this
dominant ridge having a prolonged presence across the Desert
Southwest. As such, the potential for a significant multi-day heat
event are on the rise. Heat Risk will climb daily, with
widespread Major to Extreme Heat Risk evident Wednesday and
Thursday of next week, likely continuing through the following
weekend. We will have to monitor trends closely as this feature
looks to bring the hottest weather we have seen since last summer.

&&

.AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 06Z Forecast Package...Much
quieter weather is expected Friday. The main concerns will be
southerly winds gusting around 25 knots in the afternoon and smoke
from fireworks after sunset. Few or no clouds expected.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...For the 06Z Forecast Package...Much quieter weather
is expected Friday, with only a tiny chance for a thunderstorm in
Lincoln and Mohave counties. Otherwise, the main concerns will be
south to southwest winds gusting 20 to 30 knots areawide in the
afternoon, with gusts as high as 40 knots in the Death Valley
National Park area, before subsiding in the evening. Areas of
smoke from fireworks can be expected near populated areas after
sunset.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
The combination of hot and dry weather with increasing
southwesterly breezes will lead to high fire spread potential
today into early tonight. This combined with dry vegetation and
July 4th activities will lead to an increased risk of wildfires.
Red Flag Warnings remain in effect for much of Southern Nevada
into western Arizona beginning late this morning and lasting into
tonight. Hot and dry conditions will persist into the weekend and
beyond, but winds will generally be on a downward trend.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.

&&

$$

KEY MESSAGES/DISCUSSION/FIRE WEATHER...Austin
AVIATION...Morgan

For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:
https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter