896
FXUS65 KVEF 161738
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
938 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2025
KEY MESSAGES
* MILD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE
UPCOMING WEEK.
* A DISTURBANCE WILL BRING A 15-30% CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION TO
PORTIONS OF INYO AND ESMERALDA COUNTIES LATE WEEK.
DISCUSSION
THROUGH SUNDAY.
ACTIVE PACIFIC STORM TRACK REMAINS FOCUSED WELL TO OUR NORTH WHILE
BROAD RIDGING CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE SOUTHWESTERN US. THIS WILL
KEEP OUR SKIES MOSTLY CLEAR AND TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL.
MEANWHILE, LOW SUN ANGLES AND LIGHT SURFACE WINDS PROMOTE
INVERSIONS IN CERTAIN NARROW VALLEYS INCLUDING DEATH VALLEY, WHICH
MEANS TEMPERATURES WILL STAY RELATIVELY COOL FOR THOSE LOCATIONS
THROUGH AT LEAST MIDWEEK.
THE FLOW PATTERN WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE LATE IN THE WEEK AND OVER
THE WEEKEND AS THE FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL. THIS WILL ALLOW
PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS TO DRAG FURTHER SOUTH INTO NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA, AND BRING SOME MODEST LIGHT PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO
THE SIERRA CREST AND PARTS OF NORTHERN INYO/ESMERALDA COUNTIES.
OTHERWISE, DRY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ELSEWHERE.
LOOKING AHEAD, A MORE SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE LOOKS POSSIBLE
APPROACHING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AS DEEP TROUGHING TAKES SHAPE
OFF THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE. THIS FLOW PATTERN HINTS AT SOME
PRECIPITATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LONGER RANGE THANKS TO
MOISTURE ADVECTION WITHIN A BROAD SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE
TROUGH AXIS. THIS POTENTIAL IS SUPPORTED BY THE CURRENT 8-14 DAY
CPC OFFICIAL OUTLOOK FAVORING ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION CHANCES
FOCUSED ACROSS CALIFORNIA.
AVIATION...FOR HARRY REID...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE
LIGHT
WINDS FOLLOWING TYPICAL DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME PATTERNS ARE EXPECTED.
EAST WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST AFTER 21Z TODAY, BUT THIS AFTERNOON
BUT SPEEDS WILL REMAIN UNDER 8KT. WEST-SOUTHWEST WINDS UNDER 8KT
WILL RETURN AROUND SUNSET FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. VFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED WITH SCT-BKN CLOUDS AROUND 25KFT THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT
BEFORE SKIES CLEAR FOR WEDNESDAY.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE...ELEVATED NORTH WINDS ARE
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON IN THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON
WITH WINDS AT 10-15KT AND GUSTS 20-25KT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH IN THE
COLORADO RIVER VALLEY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT, LINGERING THE
LONGEST AT KIFP. OTHERWISE, LIGHT WINDS FOLLOWING TYPICAL
DIRECTIONAL PATTERNS ARE EXPECTED IN MOST LOCATIONS THROUGH THE
PERIOD. VFR CONDITIONS WITH OCCASIONAL CLOUDS AROUND 20KFT-25KFT ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT WITH CLEARING SKIES ON WEDNESDAY.
CLIMATE
NUMEROUS CLIMATE LOCATIONS HAVE A FORECAST HIGH
TEMPERATURE AND/OR FORECAST WARM LOW TEMPERATURE WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF
THE DAILY RECORD FOR TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND THURSDAY.
THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE AND THE
YEAR THE RECORD WAS LAST SET. AN ASTERISK (*) DENOTES WHICH RECORDS
ARE IN JEOPARDY (WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF THE FORECAST).
MAX TUE, DEC 16 WED, DEC 17 THU, DEC 18
RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR)
LAS VEGAS 74(1980) 71(1942)* 72(1939)*
BISHOP 72(1980)* 72(1998)* 72(1999)*
NEEDLES 79(1980)* 77(1980)* 75(2024)*
DAGGETT 76(1998) 76(1998) 80(1998)
KINGMAN 71(1969)* 70(1980)* 74(1980)*
DESERT ROCK 73(1980)* 72(1998)* 69(2024)*
DEATH VALLEY 84(1998) 88(1998) 86(1998)
THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE DAILY RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AND
THE YEAR THE RECORD WAS LAST SET. AN ASTERISK (*) DENOTES WHICH
RECORDS ARE IN JEOPARDY (WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF THE FORECAST).
WARM MIN TUE, DEC 16 WED, DEC 17 THU, DEC 18
RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR)
LAS VEGAS 49(2002)* 47(2010)* 48(1962)*
BISHOP 38(1957) 33(1978)* 38(2010)*
NEEDLES 62(1980) 61(1998) 57(2010)
DAGGETT 49(1981)* 49(1983)* 50(1980)*
KINGMAN 48(1957) 44(1980)* 46(2010)*
DESERT ROCK 49(1998) 41(2014) 45(2024)*
DEATH VALLEY 66(1998) 60(1998) 58(1914)
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR IMPACTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
DISCUSSION...OUTLER
AVIATION...NICKERSON
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