468
FXUS65 KVEF 022102
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
102 PM PST FRI JAN 2 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* PATCHY FOG WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF THE
MOJAVE DESERT AND SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN TONIGHT WITH LOCALLY
REDUCED VISIBILITY.
* HEAVY SNOW WILL RETURN TO THE SIERRA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH
SNOW TOTALS EXCEEDING A FOOT ABOVE 8500 FEET.
* UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. THROUGH
THE WEEK WITH PERIODS OF BREEZY CONDITIONS AND ADDITIONAL ROUNDS
OF LIGHT RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.
DISCUSSION
THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.
THIS AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS UNUSUALLY MOIST
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE MOJAVE DESERT AND SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN WITH
CONSIDERABLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LEADING TO PERSISTENT POCKETS OF
LOW STRATUS AND FOG. THERE HAS BEEN CLEARING ACROSS MUCH OF
SOUTHERN NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA, THOUGH SOME MID ELEVATION SLOPES
REMAIN BLANKED WITHIN THE CLOUD LAYER, WHILE THE STRATUS DECK IS
MORE PERSISTENT ACROSS INYO AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES. OVERALL,
THE EXPECTATION IS FOR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE EVENING
THOUGH WE MAY NOT COMPLETELY SHAKE THE STRATUS ACROSS THESE
WESTERN ZONES. WITH NIGHTFALL APPROACHING AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
NOT GOING ANYWHERE, WE MAY SEE SOME REDEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT, BUT
NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTING COVERAGE TO BE AS WIDESPREAD AS THIS
MORNING.
MEANWHILE, ATTENTION TURNS TO THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM APPROACHING
THE AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING ASHORE ALONG THE WEST COAST.
THIS PRECIPITATION BAND WILL REACH THE SIERRA BY SATURDAY MORNING,
WITH LIGHT PRECIPITATION SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT
BASIN THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE ON THE
INCREASE WITH THIS WAVE THANKS TO A DEEP SUBTROPICAL FETCH
ASSOCIATED WITH MOISTURE PLUME, HOWEVER, ELEVATIONS ABOVE 8000
FEET SHOULD REMAIN PREDOMINANTLY SNOW. THIS INITIAL ROUND OF
PRECIPITATION WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A SECOND COLDER WAVE ON SUNDAY
INTO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS FALLING TO NEAR 6000 FEET IN
THE SIERRA. THIS WILL RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE SNOW TOTALS IN THE
SIERRA THROUGH MONDAY MORNING AND HAVE GONE AHEAD AND ISSUED A
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. OUTSIDE
OF THE SIERRA, WINTER IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIMITED THANKS TO
CONTINUED HIGH SNOW LEVELS AND GENERALLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION
EXPECTATIONS.
THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN ACTIVE INTO NEXT WEEK WITH
ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCES EXPECTED WITHIN A PATTERN THAT STARTS
FAIRLY ZONAL AND TRENDS MORE NORTHWESTERLY BY THE WEEKS END. THIS
SHOULD MARK A TREND TOWARDS SOMEWHAT COOLER STORM SYSTEMS BY THE
WEEKS END WITH LOWER SNOW LEVELS, THOUGH OVERALL PRECIPITATION
EXPECTATIONS REMAIN FAIRLY LIGHT.
AVIATION...FOR HARRY REID...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE
ISOLATED
AREAS OF FOG CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF
THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY. THIS FOG SHOULD CONTINUE TO BURN OFF THROUGH
THE MORNING AND BECOME LESS IMPACTFUL BY MIDDAY. BEYOND THAT, SCT
CLOUDS WITH BASES AOA 5KFT AGL WILL PERSIST INTO THE EVENING BEFORE
BKN TO OVC HIGH CLOUDS RETURN TO THE REGION LATE THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT. NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEY BEFORE
TOMORROW EVENING. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND DIURNAL THROUGH THE
TAF PERIOD.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA AND
SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE...AREAS OF
PATCHY FOG CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, AS WELL AS
PARTS OF THE MOJAVE DESERT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, LATE THIS
MORNING. THIS FOG WILL CONTINUE TO BURN OFF, WITH MOST AREAS SEEING
VISIBILITIES INCREASE TO GREATER THAN 6SM BY 20Z. AFTER THAT, SCT TO
BKN CLOUDS WITH BASES AOA 5KFT AGL CAN BE EXPECTED INTO THIS
EVENING, BEFORE BKN TO OVC HIGH CLOUDS RETURN OVERNIGHT FROM WEST TO
EAST. A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE AROUND KBIH AFTER 15Z SATURDAY, BUT
MOST AREAS WILL NOT SEE PRECIPITATION UNTIL AFTER 20Z SATURDAY.
WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND DIURNAL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD.
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR IMPACTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
DISCUSSION...OUTLER
AVIATION...PLANZ
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