073  
FXUS65 KPSR 281143  
AFDPSR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ  
443 AM MST SAT JUN 28 2025  
   
UPDATE...UPDATED 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION
 
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH  
LOWER DESERT HIGH TEMPERATURES TOPPING OUT MOSTLY BETWEEN 110  
AND 115 DEGREES FOR SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY  
 
- EXTREME HEAT WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE PHOENIX METRO  
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WITH THE REST OF LOWER DESERTS IN EFFECT  
ONLY FOR MONDAY AS AREAS OF MAJOR HEATRISK DEVELOP  
 
- AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK IS LIKELY TO  
LEAD TO CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR PORTIONS OF  
ARIZONA, FAVORED MORE ACROSS HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
THE SUB-TROPICAL RIDGE HAS BEGUN TO RECENTER ITSELF DIRECTLY OVER  
THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WITH H5 HEIGHTS NOW AROUND 590-591DM. THE  
INCREASING HEIGHTS ALOFT SINCE THURSDAY WILL CONTINUE TO HELP  
TEMPERATURES TO HEAT UP THIS WEEKEND WITH READINGS ALREADY  
EXPECTED TO TOP OUT AROUND 110 DEGREES TODAY. THE RIDGE SHOULD  
STRENGTHEN A BIT FURTHER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY PEAKING AT 591-593DM,  
BUT STILL BELOW THE 90TH PERCENTILE OF CLIMATOLOGY. FORECAST  
TEMPERATURES DURING THE PEAK STRENGTH OF THE RIDGE HAVE TRENDED  
UPWARD OVER THE PAST FEW MODEL RUNS WITH SUNDAY NOW SHOWING  
111-114 DEGREES AND MONDAY AT 112-116 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES ARE  
LIKELY TO BEGIN TO LOWER STARTING TUESDAY, BUT ONLY BY A DEGREE OR  
TWO AS A DRY PACIFIC LOW APPROACHES THE REGION FROM THE WEST. DUE  
TO THE EVEN HOTTER TRENDS WITHIN THE MODELS, THE AREAS OF MAJOR  
HEATRISK HAVE EXPANDED, PARTICULARLY ON MONDAY WHICH NOW SHOW AT  
LEAST LOCALIZED MAJOR HEATRISK THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE LOWER  
DESERTS. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE DECIDED TO EXPAND THE EXTREME HEAT  
WARNING WESTWARD THROUGH SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND MUCH OF SOUTHEAST  
CALIFORNIA. DAILY RECORD HIGHS ARE MOSTLY OUT OF REACH, BUT THE  
115 DEGREE RECORD ON MONDAY FOR PHOENIX IS VERY LIKELY (~80%) TO  
AT LEAST BE TIED AND/OR BROKEN (~50%).  
 
THE PACIFIC LOW THAT WILL APPROACH OUR REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK IS  
SET TO BEGIN TAKING SHAPE WEST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ALREADY BY  
TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. GUIDANCE HAS STRUGGLED WITH THIS WEATHER  
FEATURE, BUT NOW SEEMS TO AGREE IT WILL HAVE A GREATER INFLUENCE  
ON OUR WEATHER BY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE POSITIONING OF THE  
LOW JUST TO OUR WEST AND THE HIGH CENTER SHIFTING MORE TO OUR  
NORTHEAST OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AREA SHOULD ALLOW FOR A MODEST  
SOUTHEASTERLY MOIST FLOW INTO AT LEAST SOUTHEAST ARIZONA BY  
TUESDAY. MOISTURE SHOULD INCREASE ENOUGH FOR SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS  
OR A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN ARIZONA HIGHER TERRAIN  
AS EARLY AS TUESDAY AFTERNOON, BUT MORE LIKELY BY WEDNESDAY.  
EITHER OR BOTH OF THOSE DAYS SHOULD ONLY RESULT IN RAIN CHANCES  
OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN, BUT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO DIRECT STORM  
OUTFLOWS INTO THE SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA LOWER DESERTS. A SOUTH  
SOUTHEAST STEERING FLOW ON TUESDAY IS SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE, BUT AT  
THIS MOMENT STORM COVERAGE IS NOT LIKELY TO BE VERY HIGH. BY  
WEDNESDAY, STORM COVERAGE OVER SOUTHEAST AND EASTERN ARIZONA IS  
LIKELY TO INCREASE, BUT THE STEERING FLOW IS LIKELY TO SWITCH OUT  
OF THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST WHICH IS DEFINITELY LESS FAVORABLE FOR ANY  
ACTIVITY REACHING THE LOWER DESERTS.  
 
BEYOND WEDNESDAY, GUIDANCE IS EVEN MORE MURKIER WITH EACH NEW  
MODEL RUN DISAGREEING ON HOW MUCH AND HOW FAR WEST THE MOISTURE  
WILL REACH. FORECAST CONFIDENCE FOR ANY SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM  
CHANCES INTO THE SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA LOWER DESERTS IS STILL  
FAIRLY LOW FOR LATE NEXT WEEK AS IT WILL LARGELY DEPEND ON THE  
AVAILABLE MOISTURE AND THE POSITIONING OF EXPECTED JET FORCING  
FROM THE TROUGH SITUATED JUST TO OUR NORTHWEST. ANY OTHER  
FORCING FROM ANY POTENTIAL SUBTLE SUB-TROPICAL WAVES OR MESOSCALE  
FEATURES IS STILL UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. THE SOUTH SOUTHWESTERLY  
STEERING FLOW (NON-FAVORABLE FOR THE LOWER DESERTS) WILL HOWEVER  
MOST LIKELY STAY IN PLACE THROUGH THE REST OF NEXT WEEK. THE NBM  
POPS ARE STILL POINTING AT THURSDAY BEING THE BEST DAY FOR MORE  
WIDESPREAD CHANCES (30-40%) ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA, BUT  
EVEN THAT IS OF LOW FORECAST CONFIDENCE. THERE ARE SEVERAL PIECES  
THAT WILL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER FOR OUR AREA (SOUTH-CENTRAL  
ARIZONA SPECIFICALLY) TO HAVE A ACTIVE MONSOON DAY LATER NEXT  
WEEK, AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE UNCERTAIN WHETHER IT WILL TURN OUT THAT  
WAY. OF HIGHER CERTAINTY IS THE COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THE  
LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK AS THE TROUGH SHOULD LOWER HEIGHTS ALOFT  
WHILE LOWER LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES. FORECAST HIGHS BY WEDNESDAY  
SHOULD BE CLOSER TO NORMAL, BEFORE POTENTIALLY DROPPING 3-5  
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BY AROUND THURSDAY. ENSEMBLES THEN SUGGEST  
THE TROUGH WILL MOVE FURTHER INLAND ENCOMPASSING ALL OR MOST OF  
OUR REGION BY AROUND NEXT SATURDAY. IF THIS SCENARIO WERE TO  
OCCUR, IT WOULD LIKELY DRY OUT MUCH OF OUR AREA LEADING A BIG  
DOWNTREND IN ANY MONSOON ACTIVITY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
UPDATED AT 1140Z.  
 
SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, KDVT:  
NO MAJOR AVIATION WEATHER CONCERNS UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES CAN BE  
EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW  
THE FAMILIAR DIURNAL TENDENCIES, ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE IS LOW OF A  
FULL EASTERLY SHIFT OCCURRING AT KPHX EARLY THIS MORNING WITH WIND  
DIRECTIONS EXPECTED TO BE MORE VARIABLE. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT  
AN EARLY WESTERLY WIND COMPONENT WILL TAKE HOLD BY AROUND 15-16Z.  
OVERALL WIND SPEEDS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 8-12 KTS WITH SOME  
OCCASIONAL AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING GUSTS BETWEEN 15-20 KTS.  
 
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA/SOUTHWEST ARIZONA INCLUDING KIPL AND KBLH:  
NO MAJOR AVIATION WEATHER CONCERNS UNDER CLEAR SKIES CAN BE  
EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD. WIND DIRECTIONS WILL FAVOR A  
S/SE COMPONENT DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS FOLLOWED BY A W/SW  
COMPONENT DURING THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT HOURS. OVERALL WIND SPEEDS  
WILL REMAIN AOB 10 KTS, ALTHOUGH SOME OCCASIONAL AFTERNOON GUSTS  
NEAR 20 KTS CAN BE EXPECTED AT KBLH. LOFTED SMOKE/HAZE MAY AT  
TIMES LOWER SLANTWISE VISIBILITY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING  
HOURS.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION WILL PUSH LOWER DESERT HIGHS  
TO OVER 110 DEGREES BY SUNDAY AS OVERALL HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS  
PERSIST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE IN HUMIDITY  
TRENDS THROUGH MONDAY AS MINRH VALUES CONTINUE TO RANGE BETWEEN  
5-15% EACH DAY AND OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES STAY BETWEEN 20-35%.  
WINDS WILL FOLLOW FAMILIAR DIURNAL TRENDS WITH TYPICAL AFTERNOON  
BREEZINESS, GUSTING MAINLY BETWEEN 15-20 MPH. EVENTUALLY, THE  
WEATHER PATTERN WILL BECOME MORE FAVORABLE FOR INCREASING  
MOISTURE AND AT LEAST SOME SCATTERED HIGH TERRAIN SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS BY AROUND NEXT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THIS MAY  
INITIALLY RESULT A DAY OR TWO OF DRY LIGHTNING CONCERNS BEFORE  
MOISTURE AND RAINFALL CHANCES INCREASES LATER NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
AZ...EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM MST MONDAY FOR  
AZZ530>536-538-539-541-545-547-549-552>555-559-560.  
 
EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 8 PM MST TUESDAY FOR  
AZZ537-540-542>544-546-548-550-551.  
 
CA...EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM PDT MONDAY FOR CAZ562-  
565>567-569-570.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...KUHLMAN  
AVIATION...LOJERO  
FIRE WEATHER...YOUNG/KUHLMAN  
 
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