


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
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816 FXUS65 KPSR 142210 AFDPSR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 310 PM MST Sat Jun 14 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Temperatures will heat up over the weekend, with highs peaking near daily records on Sunday, resulting in areas of Major HeatRisk. - An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect through Monday evening for high temperatures ranging from 106 to 114 degrees across the lower deserts. - A dry weather disturbance will pass north of the area early next week, resulting in breezy afternoon winds and a slight dip in temperatures into the middle part of the upcoming workweek. && .DISCUSSION... The current upper level pattern is characterized by a subtropical ridge which has begun to settle to the southeast of our forecast area, a concentrated area of negative height anomalies off the British Columbia coast, and a broad swath of southwesterly flow in between these features over much of the Western US. Ensembles show this pattern remaining fairly stagnant through the upcoming workweek (though slight variations in the subtropical ridge positioning and strength will occur), yielding excellent forecast confidence in continued dry conditions and above normal temperatures. However, a weak, dry shortwave is expected to pass north of the region early this upcoming workweek. Under the influence of the subtropical anticyclone centered to our southeast, temperatures will heat up to around 10 degrees above normal by Sunday, with lower desert highs forecast to top out around 110-114F. The latest probabilistic NBM gives a 24% chance of reaching 115F at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which would tie the record for 15 June that was most recently set in 2021. NBM highs are still in the lower 110s for much of the lower deserts Monday as well, indicating a decrease of only a couple degrees. Temperatures this hot translate to areas of Major HeatRisk, more widespread Sunday and localized Monday. As such, an Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect through Monday evening. As mentioned previously, a weak shortwave will pass north of the Desert Southwest late Monday/Tuesday, resulting in breezy afternoon winds and a slight dip in temperatures. Over the last several forecast packages, NBM highs have come up a few degrees during the first half of the upcoming workweek, reflecting the trend in global guidance showing a weaker shortwave passing the region even further to the north. Despite this, HeatRisk should drop into a Moderate category by Tuesday. The main concern Tuesday will instead be elevated fire weather concerns, particularly over the high terrain east of Phoenix, with gusts likely (50-60% chance) to peak around 30 mph along ridgetops combined with receptive dry fuels and afternoon humidities in the upper single digits. Ridging will reestablish east southeast of the forecast area during the latter half of the workweek, allowing temperatures to rise once again into the lower 110s for the typically hotter lower desert locales. Heat headlines may need to be extended or reissued as some areas of Major HeatRisk reassert themselves across Southern AZ. Guidance then shows another trough moving into the Northwestern U.S. by next Friday/Saturday, and if this holds true, it should keep temperatures from getting any hotter and help bring highs back to just below 110 degrees by next weekend. Beyond next weekend, long- range guidance is still trying to introduce marginal moisture from the southeast, but overall the pattern still doesn`t look favorable for any meaningful monsoon conditions for the forecast area. && .AVIATION...Updated at 1740Z. South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, KDVT: No aviation concerns are anticipated through the forecast period, with wind speeds mostly remaining at or below 8 kts and following typical diurnal directional trends. Periods of variability between transition periods will be common. FEW high cirrus will overspread the region through this evening. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: No aviation concerns are expected through the TAF period. Winds at KIPL will favor a E/SE component, with a period of light S/SW winds this evening, while KBLH will see a predominant S component. Wind speeds will remain light aob 8 kts at KIPL through most of the period, while KBLH will see 10 kt winds during the daytime hours, with lighter winds during the overnight hours. FEW passing high cirrus will progress over the area through this evening. && .FIRE WEATHER... Strong high pressure will continue to bring hot and seasonably dry conditions into early this upcoming workweek, with high temperatures as hot as 110 to 114 degrees across the lower deserts on Sunday. Winds will continue to follow typical diurnal (upslope and downvalley) tendencies with periods of afternoon upslope breeziness. Humidity levels through the entire upcoming workweek show little variation, with poor overnight recoveries areawide, generally between 20-30%, and afternoon minRHs dipping to between 5-10%. A dry weather system will pass north of the region early in the workweek, resulting in a slight uptick in winds across much of the area Monday afternoon/evening and mostly over the high terrain of the eastern districts Tuesday. These gusty winds combined with receptive dry fuels and very low humidity could result in elevated fire weather concerns. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM MST Monday for AZZ530>544- 546>556-559>562. CA...Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM PDT Monday for CAZ562>567-569- 570. && $$ DISCUSSION...Whittock AVIATION...Smith/Benedict FIRE WEATHER...Whittock/Kuhlman