748
FXUS65 KVEF 200803
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
103 AM PDT FRI MAR 20 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* HEAT HEADLINES REMAIN IN EFFECT AS AN UNPRECEDENTED MARCH
HEATWAVE CONTINUES INTO NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
THROUGH THURSDAY.
THE FORECAST REMAINS LARGELY UNCHANGED THANKS TO A SOMEWHAT
MALLEABLE RIDGE THAT MODELS SHOW HOLDING OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN US.
EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO PEAK TODAY, THEN SUBTLY COOL OVER THE
WEEKEND AS A WEAK SYSTEM PASSES BY. THIS FEATURE BRINGS BREEZY
SOUTHWEST WINDS AND SOME HIGH CLOUDS, BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT. ENSEMBLE
GUIDANCE THEN HAS THE RIDGE RESTRENGTHEN NEXT WEEK, CAUSING
TEMPERATURES TO RISE A FEW DEGREES. EXACTLY HOW HOT IT GETS WILL
DEPEND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RIDGE AND EXTENT OF MIXING.
REGARDLESS, TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR
MID/LATE MARCH AS THIS HISTORIC HEATWAVE CONTINUES. HERE IN VEGAS,
THERE IS AT LEAST A 75% CHANCE OF REACHING 90 DEGREES EACH DAY
THROUGH THURSDAY. SHOULD THIS MATERIALIZE, IT WOULD PUT US AT 9 DAYS
OF 90+ DEGREES THIS MARCH. FOR REFERENCE, WE HAD JUST 1 MARCH DAY OF
90+ FROM 1937 (WHEN RECORDS BEGAN) TO 2003, AND 12 MARCH DAYS OF 90+
FROM 2004 TO 2025.
AVIATION...FOR HARRY REID...FOR THE 06Z FORECAST PACKAGE
LIGHT
WINDS UNDER 8KT ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. WINDS FRIDAY COULD
BE LIGHT FROM THE EAST WINDS LATE MORNING THAT THEN SHIFT SOUTHEAST
AFTER 21Z, OR WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE UNDER 5KT. TYPICAL
SOUTHWEST WINDS RETURN TONIGHT AROUND SUNSET. CLEAR SKIES WILL
PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMB OVER 90 DEGREES EACH
AFTERNOON. THERE IS A 10% CHANCE TEMPERATURES REACH OR EXCEED 100
DEGREES ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 06Z FORECAST PACKAGE...LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT. ON FRIDAY, BREEZY NORTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP AROUND KIFP
GUSTS UP TO 20KT LATER THIS MORNING, HOWEVER THESE ELEVATED WINDS IN
THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY SHOULD REMAIN ISOLATED TO THIS AREA AND
WILL DIMINISH AFTER 21Z. IN ADDITION, BREEZY SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST
WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE OWENS VALLEY WITH A 20% CHANCE FOR GUSTS
OVER 20KT IN THE AFTERNOON. ANY GUSTS THAT DEVELOP IN THE OWENS
VALLEY WILL DIMINISH AROUND SUNSET. ELSEWHERE, EXPECT LIGHT WINDS
UNDER 10KT TO FOLLOW TYPICAL DIRECTIONAL PATTERNS TODAY AND TONIGHT.
CLEAR SKIES WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD.
CLIMATE
NUMEROUS CLIMATE LOCATIONS HAVE A FORECAST HIGH
TEMPERATURE AND/OR FORECAST WARM LOW TEMPERATURE WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF
THE DAILY RECORD.
THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE AND THE
YEAR THE RECORD WAS LAST SET. AN ASTERISK (*) DENOTES WHICH RECORDS
ARE IN JEOPARDY (WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF THE FORECAST).
MAX FRI, MAR 20 SAT, MAR 21 SUN, MAR 22 MON, MAR 23
RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR) RECORD (YR) RECORD (YR)
LAS VEGAS 90(2004)* 92(2004)* 91(2004)* 89(2004)*
BISHOP 84(2004)* 84(2004)* 83(2004)* 82(2004)*
NEEDLES 97(2004)* 98(2004)* 97(2004)* 94(1990)*
DAGGETT 94(1997)* 92(2004)* 92(2004)* 89(1971)*
KINGMAN 89(2004)* 89(2004)* 87(2004)* 85(1956)*
DESERT ROCK 86(2004)* 87(2004)* 87(2004)* 83(1990)*
DEATH VALLEY 97(2004)* 101(2004)* 102(2004)* 99(2004)*
THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE DAILY RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AND
THE YEAR THE RECORD WAS LAST SET. AN ASTERISK (*) DENOTES WHICH
RECORDS ARE IN JEOPARDY (WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF THE FORECAST).
WARM MIN FRI, MAR 20 SAT, MAR 21 SUN, MAR 22 MON, MAR 23
RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR) RECORD (YR) RECORD (YR)
LAS VEGAS 68(2017)* 69(2017)* 62(2015)* 71(2004)*
BISHOP 46(2013)* 47(1978)* 46(1963)* 45(2012)*
NEEDLES 69(2017) 70(2017) 68(2004)* 71(2004)
DAGGETT 60(2017)* 59(1978)* 62(2015)* 62(2004)*
KINGMAN 54(1936)* 54(1978)* 55(2004)* 58(2004)*
DESERT ROCK 59(2017)* 58(2017)* 54(2018)* 55(2012)*
DEATH VALLEY 73(2017)* 73(2017)* 72(2022)* 72(1967)*
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR IMPACTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
DISCUSSION/CLIMATE...WOODS
AVIATION...NICKERSON
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