264
FXUS65 KVEF 022341
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
340 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 00Z FORECAST PACKAGE
SCT LOW
CLOUDS WILL PERSIST INTO THIS EVENING AROUND 020-030KFT WITH BASES
LIKELY INCREASING TO AROUND 5KFT OVERNIGHT. THERE IS A LOW
PROBABILITY OF FOG AND WILL LEAVE IT OUT OF THE CURRENT TAF, BUT
SOME ISOLATED AREAS IN LOWER SPOTS CAN NOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT.
EXPECT TO SEE MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS INCREASE AFTER 09Z WITH SCT
CLOUDS AROUND 12K FEET WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE SATURDAY
MORNING AND BECOME BKN BY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND
DIURNAL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN SHOWER
CHANCES LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BUT SHOULD STILL REMAIN ISOLATED.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA AND
SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 00Z FORECAST PACKAGE...FEW-SCT
CLOUDS AROUND 020-030KFT WILL PERSIST INTO THIS EVENING ALONG WITH A
FEW PATCHY AREAS OF FOG. AT THIS TIME, FOG DOES NOT LOOK TO IMPACT
ANY TAF SITES AND WILL LEAVE OUT OF THE TAF FORECAST. INCREASING MID
AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM THAT WILL
BRING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS TO THE REGION SATURDAY
AFTERNOON. THE RAIN/SNOW CHANCES WILL REMAIN HIGHEST IN THE SIERRA
AND OWENS VALLEY SATURDAY WHERE LOWER CIGS AND VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS
ARE LIKELY. 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...GORELOW
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