Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Flagstaff, AZ
Issued by NWS Flagstaff, AZ
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027 FXUS65 KFGZ 210943 AFDFGZ Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 243 AM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Cool and generally dry conditions are expected today with a slight chance for showers in western Yavapai county. Our next system will bring rain showers to the area late on Saturday into Sunday, with some high elevation snow possible above 7000 feet by Sunday morning. Mild and dry conditions return for next week through Thanksgiving. && .DISCUSSION...It`s been a quiet night across northern Arizona with low upslope clouds persisting west of the higher terrain and increasing higher clouds from the west ahead of the next system. Satellite and radar imagery show this trough moving southward off the coast of southern California, with copious showers over southern California just reaching into far western Arizona at this time. Models are consistent in moving the aforementioned west coast trough southward through about mid-day Saturday (to a point west of northern Baja), leaving northern Arizona with cool and generally dry conditions. Low clouds will dissipate by late morning, but the trough will progressively push mid and high clouds over AZ. Showers currently in Mojave County may clip western Yavapai County today, but accumulations should be minor. As the system turns to the northeast, showers will increase across northern Arizona late on Saturday and Saturday night. Temperatures aloft will increase ahead of the system (models indicate 700mb temps approaching 0 C by Saturday evening), likely raising the snow level to 8000` or greater. The passage of the trough to the northeast will bring cooler temperatures and falling snow levels by Sunday morning, with minor accumulations (< 1") down to 6500-7000`. At this time the models are favoring the areas along and south of the Rim with the greatest precipitation accumulations, with about 0.3 to 0.7" forecast. The provessive movement of this system will limit the precipitation accumulations, but uncertainty exists in the track of the system that will impact the total amount of precipitation and snow levels. Reasonable `worst-case` scenarios at this time could bring a couple inches of snow down to 6500-7000` (and rainfall totals south of the Rim exceeding 1.5") by Sunday morning, but the probabilities of these amounts are less than 10% at this time. Looking to the extended, mild and dry weather is forecast for next week as a weak ridge of high pressure builds to our west. Dry conditions are expected through at least Thanksgiving Day. && .AVIATION...Friday 21/06Z through Saturday 22/06Z...Patchy FG/BR and low CIGS possible over the higher terrain from 05Z-15Z. Winds VRB 5- 10 kts overnight, becoming E/SE after 17Z. OUTLOOK...Saturday 22/06Z through Monday 24/06Z...SCT-WDSPRD RA/SN with periods of IFR/MVFR conditions likely each day. Winds E/NE 5-10 kts on Saturday, becoming W/SW on Sunday. Locally gusty NE winds downwind of the terrain overnight. && .FIRE WEATHER...Today through Saturday...Most of the area will see a break in the action today, with the exception of western Yavapai County as the next system begins to approach in the afternoon bringing the next round of showers. This system takes an initial southeastward track Saturday with rain and snow shower activity located mainly south of the I-40 corridor through Saturday evening. The system hooks back to the northeast Saturday night bringing rain and snow chances back northward. Winds E-SE 5-10 mph Friday, NE-SE 5-10 mph Saturday. Sunday through Tuesday...Showers likely Saturday night through noon on Sunday, becoming more scattered during the afternoon. The snow level will range from 7000-8000 feet. Storm system moves out of the area Sunday night with things drying out and warming up Monday and Tuesday. Wind W-NW 5-10 mph each day. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && $$ PUBLIC...BAK AVIATION...Humphreys FIRE WEATHER...Bernhart For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff