307
FXUS65 KVEF 192309
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
309 PM PST FRI DEC 19 2025
KEY MESSAGES
* UNSETTLED CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN OUR FAR NORTHWESTERN AREAS
THROUGH MONDAY, THOUGH ANY IMPACTS SHOULD BE MINOR.
* THE CHANCE OF RAIN, SNOW, AND WIND IMPACTS AROUND CHRISTMASTIME
CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
DISCUSSION
THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY.
STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE EASTERN SIERRA AS A SHORTWAVE
MOVES THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND THE JET DROPS SOUTH. AS A
RESULT, A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN SIERRA
THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. WHILE WIDESPREAD LONG DURATION
DOWNSLOPE WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED IN THE OWENS VALLEY, ISOLATED GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH MAY OCCUR IN AREAS CLOSE TO THE FOOTHILLS. IN
ADDITION TO STRONG WINDS, THE EASTERN SIERRA WILL ALSO SEE A 20 TO
40% CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK. PRECIPITATION TOTALS IN THE EASTERN SIERRA WILL RANGE BETWEEN
HALF AN INCH AND AN INCH WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG THE
RIDGELINE. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE ABOVE 9,500 FEET, WHICH WILL RESTRICT
WINTER WEATHER IMPACTS TO THE SIERRA CREST. THE NORTHERN PORTION OF
THE OWENS VALLEY AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHWESTERN ESMERALDA
COUNTY HAVE AROUND A 20 TO 30% CHANCE OF SEEING PRECIPITATION
OVER THE WEEKEND. ANY PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT, AS THE SIERRA
WILL BLOCK MAJORITY OF THE MOISTURE FROM SPILLING OVER.
ELSEWHERE, DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY ALONG WITH
WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND SOUTHWESTERLY AFTERNOON
BREEZES.
UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE REGION JUST IN TIME FOR THE
HOLIDAYS AS A TROUGH DIGS ALONG THE COAST, BRINGING AN INFLUX OF
MOISTURE TO THE REGION. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE
ACROSS OUR WESTERN ZONES LATE TUESDAY EVENING, SPREADING ACROSS THE
REGION OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES LINGER THROUGH THE END OF
THE WEEK WITH THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TO FALL ON
CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY. LOW ELEVATION SNOW IS NOT A CONCERN
WITH THIS SYSTEM AS SNOW LEVELS WILL BE AROUND 8,500 TO 10,000 FEET
ACROSS THE MOJAVE DESERT, WITH SNOW LEVELS IN THE 6,500 TO 7,500
FOOT RANGE IN INYO COUNTY AND THE SOUTHWESTERN GREAT BASIN
(ESMERALDA AND NYE COUNTIES). ELEVATED SOUTHERLY TO SOUTHWESTERLY
WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM, WITH WINDS INCREASING ON
TUESDAY AND REMAINING ELEVATED THROUGH THURSDAY. EXACT DETAILS
REGARDING WIND SPEEDS AND PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS REMAIN UNCERTAIN
AT THIS TIME AS THERE REMAINS A WIDE ENVELOPE OF POSSIBLE
SOLUTIONS. REGARDLESS, THE KEY TAKEAWAYS SHOULD BE THAT WEATHER
IMPACTS ARE GROWING MORE LIKELY AROUND THE HOLIDAY. THOSE WITH
TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WET CONDITIONS ON MOST ROADS
AND WINTRY WEATHER ABOVE 7-8KFT.
AVIATION...FOR HARRY REID...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE
WINDS
WILL REMAIN LIGHT, FOLLOWING TYPICAL DAILY DIRECTIONAL TRENDS
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SWING AROUND TO THE SOUTHWEST
DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS, AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AROUND 8
KNOTS OR LESS. HOWEVER, A LOW CHANCE (20%) EXISTS FOR BREEZY
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND
VARIABLE AGAIN TOMORROW MORNING AS THEY TRANSITION TO A MORE
EASTERLY DIRECTION. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL, WITH PERIODS OF
MID-TO-HIGH CLOUDS WITH BASES AOA 15KFT AGL.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE...WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE
REGION WILL FOLLOW TYPICAL WIND PATTERNS, WITH SPEEDS GENERALLY 10
KNOTS OR LESS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE NORTHERN OWENS VALLEY,
INCLUDING BIH, WILL BE THE EXCEPTION TO THIS AS BREEZY NORTHERLY
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PICK UP THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20
KNOTS. THESE ELEVATED NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING
HOURS WITH GUSTS DROPPING OFF OVERNIGHT. WHILE WINDS ACROSS THE
WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT WILL REMAIN AROUND 10 KNOTS TODAY, THEY WILL
PICK UP OUT OF THE WEST THIS EVENING, REMAINING ELEVATED THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT PERIOD. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH TONIGHT, AS
BANDS OF MID-TO-HIGH CLOUDS STREAM OVER THE REGION, WITH BASES
REMAINING AOA 12KFT AGL.
CLIMATE
NUMEROUS CLIMATE LOCATIONS HAVE A FORECAST HIGH
TEMPERATURE AND/OR FORECAST WARM LOW TEMPERATURE WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF
THE DAILY RECORD FOR WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY.
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 FRI, DEC 19 SAT, DEC 20 SUN, DEC 21
RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR)
LAS VEGAS 68(2024)* 73(1981) 68(2023)*
BISHOP 69(1985)* 71(1972) 70(2018)*
NEEDLES 76(2024)* 76(1981)* 75(2005)*
DAGGETT 76(1950)* 78(1981) 76(2018)*
KINGMAN 76(1917) 74(1917) 73(1917)
DESERT ROCK 69(2024) 69(2020) 70(2020)*
DEATH VALLEY 75(1950) 79(1999) 81(1999)
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 FRI, DEC 19 SAT, DEC 20 SUN, DEC 21
RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR) RECORD(YR)
LAS VEGAS 55(2010) 50(2010)* 53(2023)*
BISHOP 48(1999) 42(1981) 40(2023)*
NEEDLES 58(2010) 61(1901) 58(2010)
DAGGETT 48(1980)* 52(1981)* 53(1981)*
KINGMAN 49(2010)* 51(2010) 51(1904)
DESERT ROCK 50(2010) 45(2010)* 44(2010)*
DEATH VALLEY 56(1914) 65(1999) 60(1914)
DEATH VALLEY 58(1914) 56(1914) 65(1999)
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR IMPACTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
DISCUSSION/AVIATION/CLIMATE...STESSMAN
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