122  
FXUS65 KPSR 031024  
AFDPSR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ  
324 AM MST FRI JUL 3 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO WARM THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO  
NEXT WEEK, REACHING ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS BY AROUND MONDAY.  
 
- AS THE HEAT BUILDS, IT WILL LEAD TO INCREASING COVERAGE OF  
MODERATE HEAT RISK AND HIGHS EVENTUALLY REACHING 110 DEGREES  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
- DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE WEEKEND, ALTHOUGH A  
SPRINKLE CANNOT BE RULED OUT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY, BEFORE  
ISOLATED STORM CHANCES RETURN OVER THE ARIZONA HIGH TERRAIN BY  
THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IS SLOWLY WORKING ITS WAY  
INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST FROM THE SOUTHEAST AS THE TROUGH WHICH  
HAS BROUGHT COOLER THAN NORMAL WEATHER LATELY SHIFTS TO THE  
NORTH. ADDITIONALLY, A WEAK TROPICAL SYSTEM IS ALSO PRESENT  
CENTERED 900 MILES WEST OF SOUTHERN BAJA. THE ATMOSPHERE FOR OUR  
REGION REMAINS UNSEASONABLY DRY AT THE MOMENT WITH PWATS AS LOW  
AS 20% OF NORMAL FOR EARLY JULY. HOWEVER, THIS WILL BEGIN TO  
CHANGE LATER TODAY AS A GOOD AMOUNT OF UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE BEGINS  
TO ADVECT NORTHWARD INTO OUR REGION. HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE  
FORECAST TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA BY LATE MORNING, BUT THEY SHOULD  
REMAIN FAIRLY THIN TODAY, LIKELY NOT IMPACTING TEMPERATURES MUCH.  
THE RISING HEIGHTS FROM THE RIDGE TAKING OVER WILL HOWEVER LEAD  
SOME WARMING, PUSHING DAYTIME HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON TO BETWEEN  
103-107 DEGREES.  
 
FAIRLY EXPANSIVE HIGH CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY  
WITH CLOUD DECKS EVENTUALLY LOWERING AND THICKENING DURING THE  
LATTER HALF OF THE DAY. MODELS ARE ALSO ADVERTISING AN UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH AXIS SWINGING NORTHWARD THROUGH OUR REGION LATER ON  
SATURDAY, ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT'S LEFT OF THE RAPIDLY DECAYING  
TROPICAL SYSTEM OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. WEAK VORTICITY  
ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH AXIS, ALONG WITH A MORE FOCUSED MOIST  
LAYER BETWEEN 13-16K FEET, SHOULD BRING SOME VIRGA SHOWERS  
SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING LEADING TO SOME SPRINKLES AT TIMES.  
CAN'T COMPLETELY RULE OUT A VERY LIGHT LOCALIZED SHOWER OR TWO AND  
POSSIBLY SOME BRIEF GUSTY WINDS FROM THESE SHOWERS, BUT NO  
MEASURABLE RAINFALL IS EXPECTED. THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR  
SATURDAY IS OF LOWER THAN TYPICAL CONFIDENCE DUE TO THE CLOUD  
COVER. THE NBM IS CALLING FOR ANOTHER 103-107 DEGREE DAY, BUT IT  
WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING IF WE FALL SHORT BY AS MUCH AS 2 OR 3  
DEGREES DUE TO THE LOWER AMOUNT OF INSOLATION.  
 
SUNDAY'S WEATHER LOOKS TO BE EVEN LESS EXCITING AS THE TROUGH AXIS  
LIFTS TO THE NORTH LEAVING INCREASING SUBSIDENCE AND DIMINISHING  
CLOUD COVER. THE WESTERN DESERTS ARE LIKELY TO CLEAR OUT FIRST  
SOMETIME LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON, WHILE A GOOD PORTION OF  
CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARIZONA MAY SEE SOME CLOUDS LINGERING THROUGH  
THE AFTERNOON. AS H5 HEIGHTS REMAIN VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED FROM  
SATURDAY, THE MORE SUNSHINE SHOULD RESULT IN AFTERNOON HIGHS  
SUNDAY MORE IN A 105-109 DEGREE RANGE.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
THE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SHIFT MORE INTO A  
MONSOONAL PATTERN STARTING NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER, A GOOD DEAL OF  
UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH THE POSITIONING OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE  
AND THUS THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDENCE, AND WHETHER OR NOT MUCH  
MOISTURE WILL ADVECT INTO THE AREA. THE RIDGE IS EXPECTED  
STRENGTHEN EARLY NEXT WEEK AND BRIEFLY FORM A CENTER SOMEWHERE  
ALONG THE ARIZONA/NEW MEXICO BORDER, BUT GUIDANCE IS NOW LEANING  
TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE HIGH EVENTUALLY SHIFTING WESTWARD TO OFF  
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST BY AROUND THURSDAY.  
 
H5 HEIGHTS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO FALL WITHIN SEASONAL NORMALS ON  
MONDAY, BUT SOME STRENGTHENING TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY IS LIKELY TO  
PUSH HEIGHTS JUST INTO THE 90TH PERCENTILE. THE MORE FAVORABLE  
POSITIONING OF THE HIGH BY MONDAY SHOULD ALSO ALLOW FOR SOME  
MODEST GULF OF CALIFORNIA MOISTURE SURGES, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO  
SURFACE DEW POINTS NEARING 50 DEGREES AND LOW LEVEL MIXING RATIOS  
OF 6-7 G/KG. ALTHOUGH THIS MOISTURE WILL BE AN IMPROVEMENT, IT  
WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO COUNTERACT THE SUBSIDENCE FROM THE RIDGE,  
AT LEAST ON MONDAY. SOME FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN MOISTURE OVER THE  
EASTERN ARIZONA HIGH TERRAIN INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK SHOULD  
FINALLY ALLOW FOR SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION, BUT AS OF NOW IT DOES  
NOT LOOK TO BE MUCH MORE THAN 10-20% CHANCES.  
 
THE BIGGER FORECAST CONCERN NEXT WEEK WILL BE THE WIDESPREAD  
MODERATE HEATRISK DEVELOPING BY TUESDAY AND POTENTIALLY SOME  
LOCALIZED AREAS OF MAJOR HEATRISK. ENSEMBLE PEAK H5 HEIGHTS OF  
594-596DM LOOK TO OCCUR ON TUESDAY INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY AND THIS  
SHOULD LEAD TO DAYTIME HIGHS RISING INTO A 110-114 DEGREE RANGE  
BOTH DAYS. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL ALSO TREND UPWARD WITH MANY  
LOCATIONS STAYING IN THE 80S AND POTENTIALLY NEAR 90 DEGREES IN  
CENTRAL PHOENIX. GUIDANCE THEN INDICATES LOWERING HEIGHTS OVER AT  
LEAST ARIZONA LATER NEXT WEEK AS THE RIDGE CENTER SHIFTS WEST  
SOUTHWESTWARD TO OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. IF THIS OCCURS, IT  
SHOULD SHAVE OFF 2-3 DEGREES FROM OUR HIGHS BY NEXT FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
UPDATED AT 0900Z.  
 
SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA INCLUDING KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, AND KDVT:  
 
NO AVIATION WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD  
UNDER GRADUALLY INCREASING MID TO HIGH CLOUDS. THE OVERALL WIND  
PATTERN WILL EXHIBIT THE TYPICAL DIURNAL TENDENCIES WITH OVERALL  
SPEEDS AOB 10 KTS, WITH SOME OCCASIONAL AFTERNOON GUSTS IN THE MID  
TO UPPER TEENS POSSIBLE.  
 
SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA/SOUTHWEST ARIZONA INCLUDING KIPL AND KBLH:  
 
NO AVIATION WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING  
UNDER GRADUALLY INCREASING MID TO HIGH CLOUDS. AT KIPL, LIGHT AND  
VARIABLE WINDS EARLY THIS MORNING WILL GO SOUTHEASTERLY THIS  
AFTERNOON BEFORE SHIFTING OUT OF THE WEST ONCE AGAIN THIS EVENING  
AND THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AT KBLH, WINDS WILL GENERALLY  
FLUCTUATE BETWEEN THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST. OVERALL SPEEDS  
WILL REMAIN UNDER 12 KTS WITH SOME OCCASIONAL GUSTS IN THE MID TO  
UPPER TEENS POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING HOURS.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WILL LEAD TO  
WARMING TEMPERATURES, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. WINDS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY LIGHT  
INTO NEXT WEEK WITH ONLY THE TYPICAL AFTERNOON UPSLOPE/UPVALLEY  
15-20 MPH GUSTS AND MAINLY STARTING SUNDAY. AFTERNOON MINIMUM  
HUMIDITIES WILL CONTINUE TO RANGE BETWEEN 5-10% THROUGH AT LEAST  
SATURDAY WITH OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES ONLY REACHING 15-30% THROUGH  
SATURDAY BEFORE IMPROVING TO 10-15% STARTING SUNDAY. DESPITE THE  
DIMINISHED WINDS, SEASONABLY ELEVATED FIRE DANGER WILL PERSIST  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND DUE TO VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND VERY DRY AND  
RECEPTIVE FUELS. MOISTURE IS STILL EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY INCREASE  
OVER THE REGION DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK, BUT OVERALL  
DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD PERSIST.  
 

 
   
PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
AZ...NONE.  
CA...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...KUHLMAN  
LONG TERM...KUHLMAN  
AVIATION...LOJERO/BERISLAVICH  
FIRE WEATHER...KUHLMAN  
 
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