Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
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572 FXUS65 KPSR 230512 AFDPSR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 1010 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 .UPDATE... Updated Aviation && .KEY MESSAGES... - A low pressure system will continue moving through the region tonight resulting in areas of light to moderate rainfall. - Scattered showers will persist across central and eastern Arizona through Sunday afternoon before moving east of the area. - Temperatures will remain below normal this weekend, returning to near normal as early as Tuesday, then slightly above normal by the end of the week. && .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Upper level water vapor satellite imagery shows the closed low centered over the Northern Baja Coast moving northeast. This system has continued to bring on/off light showers this morning in SW AZ and Imperial County with some locations receiving an additional 0.2- 0.5" since midnight. With the low over the Baja Coast, increased moisture, introduced from an atmospheric river, remains in place across SW AZ and Imperial County with PWATs around 0.7-1.0". Throughout central and eastern AZ, drier air remains in place with PWATs of 0.4-0.7", but not for long as the low pressure system is expected move into central AZ by this evening which will increase PWATS to ~0.8-1.00". This increase in moisture, in conjunction with the vorticity from the low pressure system will result in scattered light showers moving into central and eastern AZ by mid to late this afternoon into the late evening hours. The best timing for more steady rainfall across south-central AZ (including the Phoenix Metro) currently looks to be during the early to mid evening hours tonight, and during the late evening hours and into the overnight hours across the foothills and higher terrain areas. Going into Sunday, some scattered showers will persist over the Phoenix Metro and the higher terrain areas as the system will be exiting the region to our NE by late Sunday night. An additional 0.00-0.30" of precipitation is expected across central AZ throughout Sunday morning and afternoon with activity dwindling down by the evening. In the higher terrain and Gila County, an additional 0.3- 0.6" of precipitation with some locally higher amounts will be possible early Sunday through the evening hours as the system finishes its journey across our region, where afterwards PWATS look to drop and dry back out to more normal levels. As the low pressure system moves across SE CA and SW AZ this afternoon, temperatures will remain well below normal with highs in the low to mid 60s. By Sunday, as the center of the low moves east of SW AZ, temperatures will begin to increase, trending back towards normal with highs Sunday in the upper 60s to lower 70s. For central and eastern AZ, with the low not moving through until late tonight into Sunday, temperatures will be near to slightly below normal with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s across the lower deserts of central AZ and in the mid to upper 60s across the higher terrain areas. By tomorrow, the low will be moving across AZ resulting in below normal temperatures for these areas with highs in the low to mid 60s across the lower deserts of central AZ and in the mid to upper 50s across the higher terrain areas. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... For the upcoming workweek calm, dry, and tranquil weather conditions will make a return to the Desert Southwest. The low pressure system that will bring rain to the region this weekend will be well to the east by Monday. In the wake of the low pressure system, heights aloft will be around 574-577 dm on Monday slowly rising to around 578-581 dm by Friday. This will result in a gradual warming trend through the workweek, with temperatures returning to near normal as early as Tuesday and going slightly above normal by the end of the workweek. Across the lower deserts afternoon high temperatures are forecasted to range from the mid 60s to low 70s on Monday and rising to the mid 70s by the end of the workweek. For the higher terrain areas, afternoon highs on Monday will be in the low 60s rising to the upper 60s to low 70s by the end of the workweek. Additionally morning lows will range from the mid 40s to low 50s across the lower deserts and in the low to mid 40s across the higher terrain through the workweek. With rising heights aloft, forecast confidence is very good that dry conditions will prevail through this coming workweek. && .AVIATION...Updated at 0510Z. South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT: Weather issues through Sunday will include occasional SHRA where vsby may briefly fall into a MVFR range with erratic winds and cigs gradually falling below 6K ft, and potentially below 3K ft for a few hours in the morning. Confidence is good that scattered SHRA will persist through Sunday morning with the potential for a more concentrated batch of RA resulting in cigs and vsby flirting with MVFR thresholds around sunrise. Confidence is moderate that cigs will hover just below 6K ft through much of Sunday afternoon before rapidly improving and eventually clearing in the early evening. While light east winds will be preferred through tonight, SHRA may create erratic directions with increasing confidence of light west winds developing Sunday mid afternoon as SHRA exit east of the terminals. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: No major weather concerns should exist through Sunday night with clearing skies and drying conditions. Confidence is very good that pockets of cigs 070-100 will slowly erode through the overnight and Sunday morning, becoming clear into the early/mid afternoon. Low probabilities of HZ/FG development exist around sunrise, however probabilities are too low to considering in this TAF package. Winds will largely be W/NW tonight, then becoming S/SE Sunday afternoon, though prolonged periods of nearly calm conditions are likely. && .FIRE WEATHER... Below normal temperatures continue this weekend, with temperatures only a couple degrees shy of normal across the central and eastern districts today. A low pressure system will be moving through the region today and tomorrow bringing scattered showers and a decent chance of wetting rains to all districts. With this weather system moving through the region minRHs will continue to be in the 40-75% range with excellent overnight recovery of 80-100%. On Monday the minRH drops slightly to 40-60%, but overnight recovery will remain excellent. Temperatures return to near normal area wide as early as Tuesday with temperatures going slightly above normal by the end of this coming workweek. MinRHs drop to 30-50% on Tuesday and then 25- 35% for the remainder of the workweek, with overnight recoveries of 50-70%. Locally gusty winds upwards of 20 mph will be possible at times, though weaker wind speeds will be more common through the period. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...None. CA...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Ryan LONG TERM...Berislavich AVIATION...18 FIRE WEATHER...Ryan/Berislavich