585
FXUS65 KVEF 311920
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1220 PM PDT TUE MAR 31 2026
KEY MESSAGES
* GUSTY WINDS ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK, WITH PATCHY
BLOWING DUST AND DANGEROUS BOATING CONDITIONS EXPECTED.
* LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY
TOMORROW MORNING, MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND
NORTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY.
* WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS RETURN THIS WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
THROUGH MONDAY.
GUSTY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE
MOJAVE DESERT AND SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN THIS AFTERNOON AS A SHORTWAVE
APPROACHES THE COAST AND MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. WIND ADVISORIES
REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE OWENS VALLEY, DEATH VALLEY, AND ACROSS THE
MOJAVE DESERT ALONG THE I-15 CORRIDOR THROUGH LATER THIS EVENING AS
WIDESPREAD 40 TO 50 MPH WIND GUSTS CONTINUE. THE LATEST HREF SHOWS A
40 TO 50% CHANCE OF 40+ MPH DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN THE SOUTHERN OWENS
VALLEY THIS EVENING, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN HAZARDOUS CROSSWINDS
ALONG HWY 395. IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY, THE HREF HAS A 50 TO 75%
CHANCE OF 40+ MPH DOWNSLOPE WINDS MAKING IT TO THE WESTERN PORTION
OF THE 215 BELTWAY, WITH A 20 TO 30% CHANCE OF STRONG DOWNSLOPE
WINDS MAKING IT AS FAR INTO THE VALLEY AS RAINBOW BLVD. WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF NORTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, WINDS WILL DECREASE
OVERNIGHT AND WILL BE RELATIVELY LIGHTER ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE PICKING
BACK UP THURSDAY AS A SHORTWAVE ROLLS THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN. IN
NORTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, STRONG WESTERLY WINDS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. RIDGING WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA
ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, RESULTING IN GUSTY NORTH WINDS FUNNELING
DOWN THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY.
THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS MOISTURE STREAMING FROM THE
PACIFIC INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THROUGH SOUTHERN NEVADA, AND INTO
NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA AS A SHORTWAVE APPROACHES THE COAST. CURRENTLY,
THE ONLY EVIDENCE OF THIS MOISTURE IS OVERCAST SKIES ACROSS THE
REGION. HOWEVER, PORTIONS OF THE AREA WILL SEE PRECIPITATION CHANCES
INCREASE AS THE SHORTWAVE SWINGS THROUGH BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. OVERALL,
PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT WITH TOTALS LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH
FOR MOST PLACES. THE EASTERN SIERRA, HIGHER TERRAIN OF LINCOLN
COUNTY, SPRING MOUNTAINS, AND HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE ARIZONA STRIP
WILL BE THE EXCEPTION WITH A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH OF RAIN POSSIBLE
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, RIDGING WILL SET UP OVER THE REGION AS WE
HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND, RESULTING IN GUSTY NORTH WINDS DOWN THE
COLORADO RIVER VALLEY ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THESE WINDS WILL LET
UP ON SUNDAY AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEK, WITH TEMPERATURES REBOUNDING
TO AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY MONDAY THANKS TO THE RIDGE.
THIS RIDGE WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR DRY CONDITIONS TO RETURN TO THE AREA.
AVIATION...FOR HARRY REID...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE
INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON, WITH
GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 KNOTS BY LATE AFTERNOON. GUSTY CONDITIONS WILL
PERSIST INTO THE EVENING BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT AND
BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AROUND DAYBREAK. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS
WILL REDEVELOP ON WEDNESDAY, ALTHOUGH SPEEDS SHOULD BE LOWER THAN
TODAY. SCT TO BKN SKIES WITH CIGS 15 TO 20KFT AGL WILL CONTINUE INTO
TONIGHT, ALTHOUGH FEW TO SCT CLOUDS WITH BASES 8 TO 10KFT AGL ARE
POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE
WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY WHERE A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE
POSSIBLE. THERE IS ALSO A LOW CHANCE OF VIRGA AND ASSOCIATED ERRATIC
WINDS IN THE VALLEY FROM 00Z TO 10Z, ALTHOUGH THERE IS SIGNIFICANT
UNCERTAINTY IN BOTH TIMING AND LOCATION.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA, NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...FOR THE 18Z FORECAST PACKAGE...GUSTY SOUTH TO
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION INTO
WEDNESDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WESTERN
MOJAVE DESERT AND KDAG, WHERE GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS ARE
POSSIBLE AFTER 21Z. OTHER AREAS WILL SEE GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 35 KNOT
RANGE. CLOUDS TODAY WILL RESULT IN TERRAIN OBSCURATION, WITH THE
BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN, INCLUDING THE
EASTERN SIERRA, SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN, AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWESTERN
ARIZONA. SHOWERS COULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY ERRATIC GUSTY WINDS, ALONG
WITH SCT TO BKN CIGS 15 TO 20KFT AGL LATE THIS MORNING, LOWERING TO
8 TO 12KFT AGL THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. SKIES
WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY, ALTHOUGH GUSTY
WINDS WILL PERSIST, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT.
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT
ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR IMPACTS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES.
DISCUSSION...STESSMAN
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