550  
FXUS65 KPSR 041017  
AFDPSR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ  
317 AM MST SAT OCT 4 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- A DRY COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION THIS MORNING WILL CAUSE  
TEMPERATURES TO GO BELOW NORMAL THIS WEEKEND.  
 
- A GRADUAL WARMING TREND WILL COMMENCE ONCE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST  
HALF OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
- INCREASING RAIN CHANCES LATE NEXT WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND WITH AT  
LEAST A LOW CHANCE FOR IMPACTFUL FLOODING RAINFALL POSSIBLE, BUT  
FORECAST CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW AT THIS TIME.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
UPPER LEVEL WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY AND OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS  
SHOW A CLOSED LOW OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA OF SOUTHERN NV, NW AZ, AND  
SW UT. THERE IS ALSO A DRY COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWARD FROM THIS  
LOW THROUGH WESTERN AZ. THIS COLD FRONT IS STILL CAUSING ELEVATED  
WINDS (20-30 MPH) ACROSS PORTIONS OF SE CA AND SW AZ. ADDITIONALLY  
THERE ARE STILL WIND GUSTS OF 40-50 MPH IN THE FAR SW CORNER OF  
IMPERIAL COUNTY. THESE WINDS WILL SUBSIDE THROUGH THE MORNING WITH  
MOST MOST GUSTS ENDING AROUND OR SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. A WIND  
ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 AM PDT FOR THE FAR SW CORNER  
OF IMPERIAL COUNTY.  
 
THIS COLD FRONT WILL QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH AZ THIS MORNING, EXITING  
INTO NM BY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS COLD FRONT WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES  
TO FALL BELOW NORMAL TODAY AND TOMORROW. AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES  
ARE FORECASTED TO BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S TO NEAR 90 DEGREES  
TODAY ACROSS THE LOWER DESERTS AND IN THE LOW TO MID 80S ACROSS THE  
HIGHER TERRAIN. THIS IS A 8-12 DEGREE COOL DOWN FROM YESTERDAY'S  
HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ AND A 6-9 DEGREE COOL DOWN  
ACROSS SE CA AND SW AZ. TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR,  
BUT MAY BE A DEGREE OR TWO WARMER. WITH THE COLD FRONT BRINGING IN  
DRIER AIR AND CLEAR SKIES AT NIGHT, MORNING LOWS WILL BE ABLE TO  
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RADIATIONAL COOLING WITH MORNING LOWS FALLING INTO  
THE 60S ACROSS THE LOWER DESERTS AND INTO THE 50S ACROSS THE HIGHER  
TERRAIN.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE LONG TERM FORECAST IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER  
HIGH IMPACT RAIN EVENT WITH TROPICAL INFLUENCES LATE NEXT WEEK.  
CURRENT INVEST 99E OFF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MEXICO, IN THE EASTERN  
PACIFIC, IS FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM WITHIN THE NEXT 24  
HOURS AND THEN SLOWLY DRIFT NORTHWEST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT  
WEEK. BEYOND THIS THERE IS STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY IN WHAT WILL  
UNFOLD. THE ONLY COUPLE OF CERTAINTIES THERE SEEMS TO BE AT THIS  
TIME IS THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN ANOMALOUS MOISTURE INTO  
THE SOUTHWEST U.S. AND THAT THE TROPICAL CYCLONE WILL LIKELY FALL  
APART AT SEA AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO HIGHER SHEAR AROUND THE BASE OF  
THE LINGERING TROUGH PATTERN OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN AND  
ALONG THE WEST COAST. ONE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE REMNANTS OF THE  
CYCLONE WILL TURN AND BE PULLED NORTHEASTWARD BY THE TROUGH, STALL  
AND FIZZLE OUT, OR TURN WESTWARD FURTHER OUT TO SEA. WHILE THERE IS  
GOOD CONFIDENCE IN ANOMALOUS MOISTURE BEING PULLED NORTHWARD  
REGARDLESS, THE REMNANTS OF THE CYCLONE MAY STILL BE NEEDED TO  
PROVIDE A SOURCE OF LIFT IN THE REGION, AS RIGHT NOW MODELS ARE NOT  
SHOWING TOO MUCH IN THE WAS OF INSTABILITY LATE WEEK AND INTO THE  
WEEKEND AND THE COASTAL TROUGH EXPECTED TO REMAIN COASTAL, WHICH MAY  
LIMIT DYNAMIC FORCING.  
 
IT IS STILL WORTH TALKING ABOUT THIS, DESPITE BEING A WEEK OR MORE  
OUT AND LOW CONFIDENCE/LOW PROBABILITY, DUE TO THE POTENTIAL HIGH  
IMPACT, ESPECIALLY AFTER LAST WEEK'S HIGH IMPACT FLOODING AND WINDS.  
THERE ARE MODEL SOLUTIONS WITH HIGH RAINFALL AMOUNTS FOR SOUTHERN AZ  
AND SOCAL. MODELS THIS MORNING HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE NUMBER OF  
SOLUTIONS WITH THE HIGHER END RAINFALL AMOUNTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE  
STILL A FEW EPS MEMBERS WITH 1.5-2.5+ INCHES OF RAINFALL. THE GEFS  
HAS BACKED OFF AND NOW THERE ARE ONLY TWO MEMBERS WITH 1+ INCHES OF  
RAIN AND THE CANADIAN ENSEMBLE REMAINS THE DRIEST SOLUTION, WITH NO  
MEMBERS HAVING 1 OF RAIN. THE REASONING FOR THE ENSEMBLES STARTING  
TO BACK OFF ON THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS FOR THE END OF NEXT WEEK AND  
HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND IS BECAUSE THEY NOW SHOW A STRONGER HIGH  
PRESSURE SYSTEM, FROM THE GULF OF AMERICA, TRYING TO BUILD BACK INTO  
THE DESERT SW. WHILE THIS DOESN'T LOOK TO DECREASE PWATS OVER OUR  
AREA IT WOULD PUSH THE THE BETTER FORCING (THE COASTAL TROUGH AND  
REMNANTS OF THE TROPICAL SYSTEM) FURTHER WEST.  
 
THERE IS ALSO SOME SLIGHTLY BETTER AGREEMENT ON WHEN, OR AT LEAST  
WHEN THE BEST WINDOW, FOR RAINFALL WILL BE. ENSEMBLES HAVE SHIFTED  
THE WINDOW FOR BEST TIMING TO BE BE LATER. SO, NOW IT LOOKS LIKE  
NEXT WEEKEND AND POTENTIALLY EVEN BY THE BEGINNING OF THE FOLLOWING  
WEEK WILL BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS. THE EPS IS  
FAVORING THIS SOLUTION, WHICH IT SHOWS WOULD BE THE RESULT OF A  
SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. HOWEVER, SOME  
MEMBERS STILL SHOW RAINFALL AS EARLY AS THE END OF NEXT WEEK  
(THURSDAY-FRIDAY). ULTIMATELY, IT IS GOOD TO BE AWARE OF THE  
POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER HIGH IMPACT RAIN EVENT IN 6-12 DAY FORECAST.  
 
PRIOR TO THE RAIN CHANCES FOR LATE NEXT WEEK THE WEATHER WILL REMAIN  
RATHER CALM. DRY CONDITIONS WITH GRADUALLY WARMING TEMPERATURES ARE  
EXPECTED FOR THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING  
BACK TO NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS SE CA AND SW AZ AND  
SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL AND EASTERN AZ BY  
WEDNESDAY. MORNING LOW TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO GRADUALLY WARM, BUT  
WILL REMAIN NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL LEVELS. BY THE END OF  
NEXT WEEK AND HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND, THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST  
ALSO BECOMES UNCERTAIN, JUST LIKE THE UNCERTAINTY IN THE  
PRECIPITATION FORECAST. IQR SPREADS ARE CURRENTLY AROUND 6-12  
DEGREES. DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY IT DOES LOOK LIKE TEMPERATURES WILL  
START TO COOL NEXT WEEKEND, THE QUESTION IS HOW COOL WILL THEY GO.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
UPDATED AT 0500Z.  
 
SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, AND KDVT:  
LOWER THAN USUAL CONFIDENCE ON AN EASTERLY WIND SHIFT  
OVERNIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY MORNING WILL BE THE ONLY WEATHER CONCERN  
UNDER CLEAR SKIES. WINDS HAVE RELAXED BUT MAINTAINED A PREDOMINANT  
WESTERLY COMPONENT, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO HOLD ON FOR THE NEXT  
SEVERAL HOURS, STRENGTHENING AT TIMES BUT REMAINING AOB 10 KTS.  
WHILE A SHIFT TO EAST WINDS IS POSSIBLE AT KPHX BETWEEN 12-17Z,  
CONFIDENCE IS LOW AND SPEEDS WOULD BE LIGHT (AOB 5 KTS), SO OPTED  
FOR PREVAILING VRB WINDS. PREVAILING SW/W WINDS AOB 10 KTS WILL  
REESTABLISH LATE SATURDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY  
EVENING.  
 
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA/SOUTHWEST ARIZONA INCLUDING KIPL AND KBLH:  
GUSTY WEST WINDS LINGERING LATE THIS EVENING WILL BE THE PRIMARY  
AVIATION CONCERN UNDER CLEAR SKIES. SPEEDS WILL BE STRONGER AT  
KIPL, WITH GUSTS TO 20-30 KTS REMAINING FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  
GUSTS HAVE MOSTLY SUBSIDED AT KBLH, BUT CANNOT RULE OUT OCCASIONAL  
GUSTS TO AROUND 20 KTS FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. WIND DIRECTIONS  
WILL TEND TO VEER OUT OF THE NORTHWEST SATURDAY MORNING AT BOTH  
TERMINALS. LIGHT NW WINDS GENERALLY AOB 8 KTS WILL THEN PREVAIL  
FOR MUCH OF THE DAY SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
A DRY COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH AZ EARLY THIS MORNING WILL LEAD TO  
TEMPERATURES 6-12 DEGREES COOLER THAN YESTERDAY ACROSS THE REGION.  
THE COOLER TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TOMORROW BEFORE A GRADUAL WARMING  
TREND BACK TO NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY THE MIDDLE OF  
NEXT WEEK. BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS CONTINUES THROUGH  
AROUND OR SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE ACROSS THE SE CA AND SW AZ.  
WIND GUSTS OF 15-25 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN  
EASTERN AZ THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. OTHERWISE, WINDS WILL  
BE LIGHT AND FOLLOW THEIR TYPICAL DIURNAL TENDENCIES. DAILY MINRHS  
OF 12-25% WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY, WITH OVERNIGHT  
RECOVERIES OF 30-60%. THERE ARE INCREASING CHANCES FOR WETTING  
RAINFALL BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, HOWEVER, BETTER CHANCES EXIST  
FOR NEXT WEEKEND AND FORECAST CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW. HOWEVER, IT  
DOES LOOK LIKELY THAT WE WILL GET AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE BY THE  
END OF NEXT WEEK PUSHING MINRHS INTO THE 20-30% RANGE WITH  
OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES OF 45-65%.  
 

 
   
PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
AZ...NONE.  
CA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR CAZ562.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...BERISLAVICH  
LONG TERM...BERISLAVICH/BENEDICT  
AVIATION...WHITTOCK  
FIRE WEATHER...BERISLAVICH  
 
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