551
FXUS65 KVEF 011818
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1018 AM PST THU JAN 1 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL INCREASE REGION-WIDE TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY, WITH WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW
EXPECTED.
* THE UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF
JANUARY, WITH PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION AND BREEZY CONDITIONS
THROUGH AT LEAST MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
THE MAIN BAND OF PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD OUT
OF THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING, LEAVING LOW CLOUDS, PATCHY FOG, AND
ADDITIONAL ISOLATED SHOWERS IN ITS WAKE. ANY FOG SHOULD BURN OFF
AFTER SUNRISE. THE SHORTWAVE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ACTIVITY WILL
EJECT NORTHEAST THROUGH CALIFORNIA AND INTO THE GREAT BASIN TODAY.
INSTABILITY AND LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE AND COLDER
TEMPERATURES ALOFT KICK OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AS THE
SHORTWAVE PASSES THROUGH THE REGION, BUT RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE
LIGHTER COMPARED TO YESTERDAY'S ACTIVITY. SNOW LEVELS FALL TO 6500-
8000 FEET THANKS TO COOLER AIR ALOFT, MEANING A FEW INCHES OF SNOW
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. PATCHY FOG MAY DEVELOP ONCE
AGAIN LATE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING AS HIGH SURFACE MOISTURE,
COOL TEMPERATURES, CLEAR SKIES, AND LIGHT WINDS CREATE AN
ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE FOR FOG DEVELOPMENT.
A SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE AREA ON FRIDAY, BRINGING A
SHORT PERIOD OF QUIET AND DRY WEATHER. HOWEVER, THIS CALM WILL BE
SHORT-LIVED AS LOW PRESSURE DROPS FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA INTO THE
WEST COAST, LEADING TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW INTO THE FORECAST AREA.
THIS PATTERN WILL HELP MAINTAIN A DECENT MOISTURE STREAM AND ABOVE-
NORMAL PWATS, GENERALLY BETWEEN 150 AND 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL.
DISTURBANCES ALONG THIS PATTERN ALONG WITH THE MOISTURE PRESENT MORE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRECIPITATION AND PERIODS OF BREEZY WINDS OVER THE
WEEKEND INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
AVIATION...FOR HARRY REID...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE
LOW CIGS
WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, WITH BASES FALLING TO LESS THAN
1KFT AGL AT TIMES AS ADDITIONAL SHOWER ACTIVITY MOVES THROUGH THE
VALLEY. NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN CIGS IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE
EVENING, FOLLOWED BY ONLY MARGINAL IMPROVEMENT OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY
MORNING. CIGS SHOULD IMPROVE TO GREATER THAN 5KFT AGL BY FRIDAY
AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN THE VALLEY, THE POTENTIAL
EXISTS FOR PATCHY FOG TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT, WHICH COULD REDUCE
VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 3SM. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND DIURNAL
INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA AND
SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE...LOW CIGS
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION INTO THE EVENING, WITH BASES FALLING
BELOW 1KFT AGL NEAR SHOWERS. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL END WEST TO EAST
LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT, BUT ONLY MINOR IMPROVEMENT IS
EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. ADDITIONALLY, GIVEN THE INCREASED
MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA, PATCHY FOG IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT, WHICH
COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 3SM. WINDS WILL GENERALLY
REMAIN LIGHT AND DIURNAL THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR IMPACTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
DISCUSSION...MELTZER
AVIATION...PLANZ
FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE:
HTTPS://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page