738  
FXUS65 KFGZ 122256  
AFDFGZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ  
356 PM MST SUN JUL 12 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
MONSOON MOISTURE WILL RETURN TO THE AREA THROUGH THE  
COMING WEEK BRINGING BETTER STORM CHANCES, ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS  
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. WITH THE ADDED MOISTURE,  
HOT TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO TREND DOWNWARD MONDAY ENDING UP TOWARDS  
SEASONAL AVERAGES LATER IN THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ALOFT WAS IN THE  
PROCESS OF BUILDING OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES. THE  
POSITION OF THE HIGH WILL PLACE MUCH OF ARIZONA IN A FAVORABLE  
POSITION FOR INCREASING MONSOON MOISTURE OVER THE COMING WEEK.  
 
FOR TODAY...THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES OVER SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND  
NORTHWEST MEXICO LAST NIGHT COLLAPSED PUSHING MOISTURE NORTHWARD  
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL ARIZONA. THE RESULT, DEEP  
MOISTURE IS IN PLACE FROM ABOUT THE MOGOLLON RIM SOUTHWARD. MODEL  
SOUNDING CAPE VALUES RANGE FROM AROUND 200 J/KG ACROSS THE  
MOGOLLON RIM TO 400-600 J/KG AT LOWER ELEVATION SOUTH OF THE  
RIM. AS STORMS BUILD OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE MOGOLLON RIM,  
WHITE MOUNTAINS AND SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS WITH DAYTIME HEATING STORM  
MOTION TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST IS EXPECTED (A COMBINATION OF  
STEERING FLOW ALOFT AND DOWNSLOPE MOVING OUTFLOW). THE STRONGEST  
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE TOWARD THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE MOGOLLON  
RIM SOUTHWARD ACROSS YAVAPAI AND GILA COUNTIES WHERE THE HIGHEST  
CAPE VALUES WILL BE FOUND. WITH HOT TEMPERATURES CONTINUING AT THE  
LOWER ELEVATIONS ANY THUNDERSTORM DOWNPOURS WILL BE CAPABLE OF  
PRODUCING 45-60 MPH WINDS GUSTS, THE RESULT OF EVAPORATIONAL  
COOLING. AS USUAL, LOCALIZED DOWNPOURS IN EXCESS OF 1.0 INCH IN  
LESS THAN AN HOUR ARE LIKELY. VALUES OF CAPE SOUTH OF THE RIM ARE  
SUCH THAT AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING  
NICKLE SIZE HAIL. ELSEWHERE, FURTHER NORTH AND EAST WEAKER AND  
MORE ISOLATED STORMS ARE EXPECTED AS MOISTURE IS LAKING FURTHER  
NORTH.  
 
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...THE HIGH ALOFT WILL REMAIN OVER  
THE NORTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES INTO WEDNESDAY BEFORE AN INVERTED  
TROUGH MOVING FROM EAST TO WEST (SOUTH OF THE HIGH CENTER)  
DOMINATES THE WEATHER ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES THROUGH  
NEXT WEEKEND. THE NET RESULT IS THE DOOR WILL REMAIN OPEN TO THE  
CONTINUED INTRUSION OF MOISTURE FROM OVER THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA  
AND NORTHWEST MEXICO, GRADUALLY WORKING IT'S WAY FURTHER NORTH.  
LOOK FOR ACTIVE MONSOON WEATHER TO CONTINUE WITH THE CHANCES FOR  
DAILY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THROUGH INTO NEXT  
WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
AVIATION...MONDAY 13/00Z THROUGH TUESDAY 14/00Z
 
VFR OVERNIGHT,  
VFR WITH MVFR POSSIBLE NEAR HEAVIEST STORMS. A FEW ISOLATED  
SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. SCATTERED  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN  
AROUND 18Z MON AND MOVE OUT WESTWARDS OVER THE LOWER DESERTS AS  
THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE OR TERRAIN  
DRIVEN OVERNIGHT, BECOMING S-SW 5-15KTS AFTER 18Z MONDAY. GUSTY  
AND ERRATIC WINDS UP TO 30-40KTS POSSIBLE NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
OUTLOOK...TUESDAY 14/00Z THROUGH THURSDAY 16/00Z...VFR WITH MVFR  
POSSIBLE NEAR HEAVIEST STORMS. SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS EACH  
AFTERNOON MAINLY BETWEEN 18Z-04Z THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE AREA.  
WINDS SW-SE 5-15KTS DAYTIME, LIGHT AND VARIABLE OR TERRAIN DRIVEN  
OVERNIGHT. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS UP TO 30-40KTS POSSIBLE NEAR  
THUNDERSTORMS.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER...MONDAY AND TUESDAY
 
TEMPERATURES TRENDING BACK  
TOWARDS NORMAL AS MONSOON MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA.  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY EACH AFTERNOON ALONG THE HIGHER  
ELEVATIONS WITH A 10-30% CHANCE OF SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE  
HIGH DESERT REGIONS. WINDS S-SE 5-15 MPH MONDAY, S-W 5-15 MPH  
TUESDAY. MIN RH'S 15% DESERTS TO 35% MOUNTAINS MONDAY, 15% DESERTS  
TO 40% MOUNTAINS TUESDAY.  
 
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION EACH DAY WITH THE  
BEST CHANCES OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. TEMPERATURES NEAR SEASONAL  
AVERAGES. WINDS S-SW 5-15 MPH. MIN RH'S 15-30% DESERTS TO 50-60%  
MOUNTAINS.  
 

 
   
FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
EXTREME HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST /9 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR  
AZZ005-006.  
 

 
 

 
 
PUBLIC...MCCOLLUM  
AVIATION...BERNHART  
FIRE WEATHER...BERNHART  
 
FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT  
WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF  
 
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