802  
FXUS65 KPSR 252311  
AFDPSR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ  
410 PM MST MON AUG 25 2025  
   
UPDATE  
 
UPDATED AVIATION  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND  
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, AS SOME  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL AND  
LOCALIZED FLOODING.  
 
- SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY OVER MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY  
AND POSSIBLY AGAIN ON TUESDAY. GUSTY WINDS, BLOWING DUST, HEAVY  
RAINFALL, AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY  
THROUGH THIS EVENING.  
 
- TEMPERATURES COOL OFF OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, DROPPING TO BELOW  
NORMAL STARTING TUESDAY.  
 
- DRYING CONDITIONS DURING THE LATTER HALF THE WEEK WILL GREATLY  
DIMINISH RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE AREA, WITH ACTIVITY LIKELY BECOMING  
CONFINED TO HIGH TERRAIN EAST OF PHOENIX BY THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN FOR THE NEXT DAY OR TWO REMAINS THE  
POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING, AS  
MOISTURE INCREASES AND UPPER LEVEL FORCING HAS BECOME FAVORABLE WITH  
A PACIFIC TROUGH APPROACHING THE REGION. CONVERGENCE AT THE LOW TO  
MID LEVELS WAS SEEN THIS MORNING, WITH SHOWERS AND STORMS TRAINING  
ALONG A SSE TO NNW ORIENTED LINE THROUGH YUMA AND LA PAZ COUNTIES,  
AND THIS LINE OF CONVERGENCE HAS BEGUN TO SHIFT EASTWARD EARLY THIS  
AFTERNOON, PERHAPS INFLUENCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF STORMS OVER SOUTH-  
CENTRAL AZ LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. UPPER LEVEL  
DIFFLUENCE IS APPARENT IN OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS, AS THE EXIT REGION OF  
A JET WRAPPING AROUND THE BASE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PACIFIC TROUGH  
MOVES OVER THE REGION. LATEST HREF GUIDANCE ALSO REVEALS 10-30%  
NEIGHBORHOOD PROBABILITIES FOR WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH THIS  
AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING, FOCUSED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SE CA  
AND SOUTHERN INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ. AS SUCH, BLOWING DUST IS  
EXPECTED TO BE A CONCERN ACROSS THE TYPICALLY PRONE LOWER DESERT  
LOCATIONS.  
 
RAP ANALYZED PRECIPITABLE WATER HAS REACHED WIDESPREAD VALUES IN  
EXCESS OF 1.6-1.7" ACROSS SOUTHWEST AZ AS DEEP SOUTHERLY MOIST FLOW  
CONTINUES TO STREAM OVER THE AREA. CUMULUS FIELDS AND A FEW ISOLATED  
STORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER EARLY  
THIS AFTERNOON, PERHAPS A BIT SOONER THAN INITIALLY ANTICIPATED FOR  
AREAS IN SOUTHERN YUMA COUNTY CONSIDERING AN MCV HAS PASSED THROUGH  
SOUTHWEST AZ THIS MORNING AND IS NOW APPROXIMATELY OVER THE SOUTHERN  
TIP OF NEVADA. DESTABILIZATION UNDER CLEAR SKIES HAS BEEN QUITE  
RAPID, WITH 100 MB MLCAPE VALUES ALREADY UP TO 1000-1500 J/KG, AND  
WITH DCAPE VALUES APPROACHING THOSE LEVELS, IT WILL NOT BE DIFFICULT  
TO REALIZE SEVERE WIND GUSTS WITH ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM.  
MEANWHILE, THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES (REFERENCING KYUM GFS BUFR  
SOUNDINGS) LOOK EXCELLENT, WITH BARELY ANY INHIBITION, 7-8 KFT CLOUD  
DEPTHS BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL, AND MIDLEVEL RHS AROUND 75%,  
INDICATING THAT EFFICIENT (WARM) RAINFALL PROCESSES WILL BE  
PREVALENT WITH THE ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON. ANY STRONG UPDRAFT WILL  
BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1-2" OF RAIN IN A RELATIVELY SHORT AMOUNT OF  
TIME, LEADING TO THE ANTICIPATED FLASH FLOOD THREAT. ACTIVITY IS  
EXPECT TO TREND NORTHWARD THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY, GENERALLY  
CLOSING IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST IN SE CA AND FAR SW AZ AND FROM THE  
SOUTHEAST WITH A COMPLEX OF STORMS ANTICIPATED TO DEVELOP NEAR  
TUCSON.  
 
BY LATE THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT, GUIDANCE GENERALLY AGREES ON A  
DIMINISHING THREAT FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. FORECAST  
UNCERTAINTY INCREASES FURTHER FOR TUESDAY AS WE ARE LIKELY TO BE  
UNDER A SCENARIO WHERE WE HAVE WORKED OVER THE ATMOSPHERE A GOOD  
DEAL TODAY LEAVING LESS INSTABILITY FOR TUESDAY. THERE IS ALSO  
DIFFERENCES IN THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE FOR TUESDAY WITH THE  
GEFS INDICATING SOME DRYING ALREADY OCCURRING WHILE THE EPS KEEPS  
THE 1.5-1.7" PWATS IN PLACE. NBM POPS ALSO SEEM WAY OUT OF WHACK FOR  
TUESDAY PROVIDING HIGHER CHANCES ON TUESDAY VERSUS TODAY. WE HAVE  
LOWERED POPS TUESDAY TO MOSTLY SHOW 30-50% CHANCES ACROSS THE LOWER  
DESERTS TO 50-70% OVER THE EASTERN ARIZONA HIGHER TERRAIN. TUESDAY  
MAY END UP PLAYING OUT WELL FOR THOSE AREAS THAT DO NOT RECEIVE MUCH  
CONVECTION TODAY, SPECIFICALLY FROM PHOENIX AND AREAS TO THE EAST OF  
PHOENIX. WE ALSO CAN'T RULE OUT A THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND  
LOCALIZED FLOODING ON TUESDAY FOCUSED MORE OVER THE EASTERN PORTION  
OF THE REGION.  
 
TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL DROP FROM WHAT WE SAW OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT  
DAYTIME HIGHS TODAY ARE LIKELY TO STILL REACH TO WITHIN A DEGREE OR  
TWO OF NORMALS. THE INCREASED MOISTURE AND RAIN COOLED AIR SHOULD  
BRING DOWN TEMPERATURES FURTHER FOR TUESDAY WITH HIGHS ANYWHERE FROM  
THE MID 90S TO AROUND 100 DEGREES.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
BY WEDNESDAY, THE INFLUENCES OF THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH WILL BE MUCH  
LESS AS IT SHIFTS ITS CENTER OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AT THE SAME  
TIME, THE PACIFIC TROUGH WILL NUDGE INTO AT LEAST WESTERN PORTIONS  
OF OUR REGION LEADING TO LOWER HEIGHTS AND TURNING OUR FLOW OUT OF  
THE SOUTHWEST. THIS WILL BRING IN A GOOD AMOUNT OF DRIER AIR  
WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY, EVENTUALLY SCOURING OUT MUCH OF OUR LOW  
LEVEL MOISTURE BY FRIDAY. HOWEVER, THE LINGERING MOISTURE ON  
WEDNESDAY SHOULD STILL BE ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR SOME ISOLATED SHOWER  
AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY LIKELY FOCUSED OVER HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS.  
AS THE DRY AIR REALLY SETTLES IN BY THURSDAY, WE SHOULD EXPECT ONLY  
VERY MINIMAL RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE EASTERN ARIZONA HIGH TERRAIN.  
THIS WESTERLY FLOW DRY PATTERN IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE  
UPCOMING WEEKEND KEEPING MUCH IF NOT ALL OF OUR AREA DRY.  
 
TEMPERATURES SHOULD CONTINUE TO RUN SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL FOR  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BEFORE SOME GRADUAL WARMING PUSHES HIGHS BACK  
INTO THE NORMAL RANGE OF 102-105 DEGREES BY FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL  
WARMING IS FAVORED OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH SOMEWHAT  
NUDGES BACK INTO OUR REGION. THE NBM SUGGESTS DAYTIME HIGHS WARMING  
BACK TO BETWEEN 104-108 DEGREE RANGE FOR THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
UPDATED AT 2310Z.  
 
SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, AND KDVT:  
GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WITH ABRUPT WIND SHIFTS, BLOWING DUST, AND  
CHANCE FOR TSRA WILL ALL BE WEATHER ISSUES THIS EVENING WITH THE  
POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO OPERATIONS. CONFIDENCE IS  
MODERATE TO GOOD THAT A SOUTHERLY OUTFLOW WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE PHX  
AIRSPACE EARLY THIS EVENING, THOUGH RECENT GUIDANCE SUGGESTS A  
SOMEWHAT SLOWER ARRIVAL TIME (01Z-03Z) AND SLIGHTLY WEAKER GUSTS.  
NEVERTHELESS, REDUCED VSBY DUE TO BLDU APPEARS LIKELY WITH GREATER  
UNCERTAINTY REGARDING ANY TSRA REDEVELOPMENT NEAR THE TERMINALS.  
HAVE MAINTAINED A TEMPO MENTION, HOWEVER THIS MAY REPRESENT A WORST  
CASE SCENARIO. FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MUCH BETTER THAT CONDITIONS  
WILL IMPROVE OVERNIGHT WITH LIGHT EAST WINDS, THEN ONLY THE  
POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED ACTIVITY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA/SOUTHWEST ARIZONA INCLUDING KIPL AND KBLH:  
SHRA/TSRA WITH GUSTY WINDS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL BE THE MAIN  
OPERATIONAL HAZARDS THIS EVENING WITH CONDITIONS CLEARING AND  
IMPROVING MID/LATE EVENING. ANOTHER ROUND OF TSRA MAY BE POSSIBLE  
FOR KIPL TUESDAY LATE AFTERNOON AS WELL. OTHERWISE, UNDER PERIODS OF  
MID/HIGH CIGS ABOVE 8K FT AGL, WINDS WILL BE HIGHLY ERRATIC THIS  
EVENING THOUGH SHOULD EVENTUALLY SETTLE ON AN S/SE DIRECTION  
OVERNIGHT.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
EXPECTED EARLY THIS WEEK. THE BEST RAINFALL CHANCES TODAY ARE LIKELY  
TO BE FOCUSED ACROSS THE WESTERN DISTRICTS BEFORE SHIFTING OVER THE  
EASTERN DISTRICTS ON TUESDAY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL AND  
LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY TODAY. ELEVATED  
HUMIDITIES WILL LEAD TO MINRHS BETWEEN 25-40% TODAY AND TUESDAY  
BEFORE GRADUALLY LOWERING BEGINNING WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL  
DROP INTO THE NORMAL RANGE TODAY AND TO BELOW NORMAL STARTING  
TUESDAY. DRYING CONDITIONS LATER THIS WEEK SHOULD MOSTLY END RAIN  
CHANCES BY THURSDAY WITH MINRHS DROPPING BACK INTO THE TEENS.  
 
 
   
PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
AZ...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ530>533-535-536-  
539-559.  
 
BLOWING DUST ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ539-551-  
553-554-559.  
 
CA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CAZ562>567-569-570.  
 
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...WHITTOCK  
LONG TERM...KUHLMAN  
AVIATION...18  
FIRE WEATHER...KUHLMAN  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab AZ Page
The Nexlab CA Page
Main Text Page