Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
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197 FXUS65 KPSR 261733 AFDPSR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 1033 AM MST Wed Jun 26 2024 .UPDATE...Updated 18z Aviation Discussion. && .SYNOPSIS... Today will mark a period of drying conditions across the region with rain chances briefly ending, even over higher terrain areas, by Friday. Above normal temperatures will persist through the rest of the week with lower desert highs mainly ranging between 107 and 112 degrees. Monsoon moisture is expected to return late in the weekend into early next week with chances for showers and thunderstorms likely again affecting south-central and eastern Arizona. && .DISCUSSION... Starting today, the synoptic weather pattern will become increasingly less favorable for monsoon convection. A weak remnant upper level disturbance is currently located just west of central Baja, while the sub-tropical high is centered near El Paso. As the remnant upper level wave tracks around the outer periphery of the high through early Thursday it is forecast to move northward through southern California. At the same time, the high center is forecast to shift closer to our area, moving to just south of the Arizona/Mexico border. This shift in the upper level pattern will directly result in increasing southwesterly flow over nearly all of our area already by this afternoon resulting in considerable drying aloft, while subsidence aloft increases. Despite still holding onto much of our boundary layer moisture today, the combination of the increasing subsidence aloft and the mid level drying should drastically lower rain chances across the area. HREF guidance and the NBM PoPs generally only show minimal (10-20%) chances for showers and thunderstorms over the higher terrain this afternoon and evening with less than 10% chances over the lower deserts. The drying will then persist through Thursday and Friday with some of our boundary layer moisture getting scoured out, particularly across the western deserts where surface dew points are forecast to drop back into the 40s. Rain chances will essentially come to an end starting Thursday with only slight chances remaining over far eastern and northern Arizona. Friday should be our driest day with PWATs falling back down to around 1.25" before moisture starts to increase once again over the weekend. Monsoon activity over Mexico is expected to increase Friday into Saturday and this should yield increasing moisture into our area as early as Saturday morning as the sub-tropical ridge begins to shift to the east. Rain chances Saturday still look to be mainly across southeast Arizona, but yet another tropical easterly wave moving across northern Mexico this weekend is likely to turn at least our mid level flow southeasterly by Sunday. Guidance then favors moisture reaching much of southern Arizona starting Sunday with PWATs back to between 1.4-1.7". The increased moisture along with some potential weak influences of the remnant tropical wave should bring back shower and thunderstorm chances to portions of southern Arizona as early as Sunday. For now, guidance shows decent monsoon moisture sticking around through much if not all of next week across southern and central Arizona. Forecast temperatures for the rest of the week and even through early next week vary only a few degrees day to day. Above normal temperatures of 3-5 degrees are expected nearly every day with lower desert highs mostly topping out between 106-112 degrees each day. Despite these readings falling into a Moderate HeatRisk category, the heat will still be dangerous to those most vulnerable and to those that underestimate the heat. The hottest day is likely to fall on Sunday as the sub-tropical high strengthens over the weekend, despite it already shifting eastward away from the region. Forecast highs Sunday are currently between 107-113 degrees across the south-central Arizona lower deserts to 108-115 degrees across the western deserts. The latest NBM forecast temperatures Sunday do present some localized areas of Major HeatRisk, so Excessive Heat headlines may eventually be needed for small portions of the area. Going through the first half of next week, the increased moisture and monsoon activity along with lowering heights aloft should allow for temperatures to attempt to cool off closer to normal readings. && .AVIATION...Updated at 1730Z. South-Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT: No major aviation weather concerns expected through the TAF period as the overall thunderstorm activity is likely to remain well north and east of the terminals later today. There is a low probability (10-20%) of an outflow from distant thunderstorms to reach the terminals late this afternoon/early evening. Should it occur, it will most likely come from the north. Otherwise, winds should prevail out of the west through the evening and into at least the first part of the overnight hours. Winds will likely become light and variable early Thursday morning, with the best for an easterly shift at KIWA. Wind speeds for the most part will generally remain aob 12 kts, with a few gusts near 20 kts possible during the afternoon and evening hours. Skies will generally remain FEW-SCT, with the lowest cloud bases to around 10-12 kft. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: No major aviation weather concerns expected through the TAF period. Winds will follow their typical diurnal patterns, with speeds generally aob 12 kt with the exception of some gusts near 20 kt in the afternoon and early evening, especially at KBLH. Skies will remain mostly clear through the period with just a few passing high clouds this evening. && .FIRE WEATHER... The weather pattern through the rest of the week will allow for drying conditions and much lower chances for rain. Isolated thunderstorm chances today are expected to be limited to the higher terrain north and east of Phoenix before chances basically come to an end starting Thursday. MinRHs will lower back into the teens across the lower deserts by Thursday, while overnight recoveries remain good at 35-50%. Winds will be fairly light today with some periodic afternoon breeziness, before increasing more on Thursday with afternoon gusts commonly reaching 20 mph. The dry conditions with virtually no chances for rain should persist through Saturday before moisture returns Sunday, increasing humidities and potentially bringing back chances for thunderstorms across south-central and eastern Arizona. Temperatures through the period are expected to average several degrees above normal. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...None. CA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Kuhlman AVIATION...Lojero FIRE WEATHER...Kuhlman