984
FXUS65 KFGZ 181728
AFDFGZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
1028 AM MST TUE NOV 18 2025
SYNOPSIS
COLD AND WET CONDITIONS WILL DOMINATE THE NEXT FEW
DAYS, WITH MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER POSSIBLE OVER THE WEEKEND. RAIN
LOOKS TO BE THE MAIN PRECIPITATION TYPE, BUT HIGH ELEVATION SNOW
WILL SNEAK IN BY MID-WEEK.
DISCUSSION
THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT FROM THE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM CENTERED ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST IS USHERING IN
ENOUGH MOISTURE TO PROMOTE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY IS CONCENTRATED ALONG AND
SOUTH OF I-40 AS OF 1 AM MST, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE INCREASED
COVERAGE IN SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS
AS THIS DISTURBANCE PROGRESSES TOWARDS ARIZONA. AT LEAST THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING, GREATEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE
ALONG AND WEST OF A PAGE-FLAGSTAFF-SHOW LOW LINE. WPC HAS
EMPHASIZED PARTS OF YAVAPAI COUNTY NOW THROUGH 5 AM MST WEDNESDAY
BY DRAWING A SLIGHT RISK FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. THIS LOCATION OF
OUR CWA IS FORECAST TO RECEIVE RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 0.5-2"
OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE ALSO NOT OUT
OF THE QUESTION WITH TRAINING STORMS AND OROGRAPHIC INFLUENCES. WE
ALSO CAN'T COMPLETELY RULE OUT A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
DECENT INSTABILITY AND SHEAR ACROSS YAVAPAI COUNTY AND NORTHERN
GILA COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON.
YOU'RE PROBABLY MORE CURIOUS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOWFALL
OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, BUT I WOULDN'T BE SUPER EXCITED IF I WERE
YOU. THIS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO TREND WARMER AS IT MOVES TOWARDS
ARIZONA, LEAVING MEASURABLE SNOW PRIMARILY FOR AREAS ABOVE 7000'
STARTING ON WEDNESDAY. EVEN SO, OUR FORECAST SUGGESTS MINIMAL
IMPACTS WITH SNOW AMOUNTS BETWEEN 0.5-1.5" FOR MORE POPULATED
AREAS (FLAGSTAFF, WILLIAMS, HAPPY JACK, FOREST LAKES) BETWEEN
WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THURSDAY MORNING. FOR LESS POPULATED AREAS
ABOVE 8000' (KAIBAB PLATEAU, SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS, AND THE WHITE
MOUNTAINS), 3 TO 10" IS POSSIBLE NOW THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
THIS LOW PRESSURE WILL EXIT THE REGION BY FRIDAY, BUT MODEL
GUIDANCE SUGGESTS ANOTHER CLOSED LOW SLIDING IN QUICKLY BEHIND.
HOWEVER, GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THIS SYSTEM TAKING A MUCH MORE
SOUTHERN TRACK ALONG THE AZ/MEXICO BORDER. AS A RESULT,
PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE MINIMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND BUT DAYTIME
HIGHS WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL.
AVIATION...TUESDAY 18/18Z THROUGH WEDNESDAY 19/18Z
MVFR-LIFR
CONDITIONS WEST OF AZ-87 CORRIDOR WITH NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS
THROUGHOUT THE TIME PERIOD. KFLG COULD SEE SOME SNOW MIX IN AFTER
12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO 7000-7500
FEET. VFR- MVFR CONDITIONS EAST OF AZ-87 CORRIDOR, A FEW SHOWERS
ARE POSSIBLE, BUT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WILL BE FURTHER WEST. WINDS
S-SW 10-15KTS, GUSTS TO 20KTS REST OF THE DAY PERIOD, LIGHT AND
VARIABLE OVERNIGHT.
OUTLOOK...WEDNESDAY 19/18Z THROUGH FRIDAY 21/18Z...CONDITIONS
COULD RANGE FROM VFR ALL THE WAY DOWN TO IFR OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS AS SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD, BECOMING
MORE ISOLATED BY FRIDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS START AT 7000-7500FT,
LOWERING TO 6000-6500FT BY FRIDAY MORNING. WINDS S-SW 5-10KTS
DAYTIME, LIGHT AND VARIABLE OR TERRAIN DRIVEN OVERNIGHT.
FIRE WEATHER...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH THE SNOW LEVEL
LOWERING TO 7500 FEET BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WINDS SOUTH AT 10-15 MPH
WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 25 MPH BOTH DAYS.
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS CONTINUES, MAINLY
IN THE FORM OF SNOW ABOVE 6500-7500 FEET. WINDS SOUTHWEST AT 5-15
MPH THURSDAY, BECOMING EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 5-10 MPH ON FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.
FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
PUBLIC...KONIECZNY
AVIATION...BERNHART
FIRE WEATHER...MCCOLLUM
FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT
WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page