Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Las Vegas, NV
Issued by NWS Las Vegas, NV
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429 FXUS65 KVEF 200000 AFDVEF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 459 PM PDT Sat Sep 19 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... * Dry and seasonable conditions through the weekend. * Precipitation chances return Monday and Tuesday * Slight warming and low precipitation chances late in the work week. && .DISCUSSION...through Friday. Morning satellite imagery clearly depicts a closed low spinning over southern ID. Westerly flow has ushered in much drier air, with observed PWAT values dropping over 2/3 of an inch when comparing this morning`s sounding to yesterday morning`s. The surface dewpoint has also dropped ~25F, giving the air that crisp, fall-like feeling. Most of the Mojave Desert fell into the 50s and 60s this morning, with the southern Great Basin reaching into the 40s and even upper 30s! Highs today will rebound to within a few degrees of climatology, with similar conditions on Sunday. Temperatures top out in the 90s to low 100s in the Mojave Desert, and upper-70s to upper- 80s in the southern Great Basin. Early in the upcoming work week, ensemble guidance remains in good agreement on an upper-level low drifting across central CA and into our region. There will be some modest moisture return ahead of this feature as ensemble mean PWAT values increase to 2/3 - 1". The combination of upper-level dynamics, colder air aloft, and anomalous moisture should be enough to spark scattered showers and maybe even isolated thunderstorms. Best chances (30-60%) appear to be Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon northwest of I-15. Given the modest moisture, expecting rainfall amounts to be on the light to moderate side. However, would not rule out some gusty outflow winds nor some small hail/graupel (if enough instability can materialize). After a subtle cooldown on Monday and Tuesday, temperatures rebound during the 2nd half of the week thanks to 500mb height rises and clearer skies. Ensemble guidance also has the mid-level flow turning more southerly late in the week, allowing some late-season monsoon moisture to creep up towards the I-15 corridor. Still a ways out, but this is enough to support at least low PoPs (10-30%) across the southeastern half of the CWA on Friday. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 00Z Forecast Package...Winds will remain relatively light over the next 30 hours, with sustained speeds of 10 knots or less and directions generally following typical daily directional trends. VFR conditions will prevail through the TAF period, with mainly clear skies tonight, then increasing mid- and high-level cloud cover Sunday. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...For the 00Z Forecast Package...Winds across the region will remain relatively light this evening through Sunday morning, with sustained speeds of 12 knots or less. Directions will favor typical daily directional trends in most locations. By Sunday afternoon, up-valley flow in the northern Owens Valley, including KBIH, will result in occasional gusts to 20 knots after 18Z. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail through the TAF period, with increasing mid- and high-level cloudiness from west to east tonight into Sunday. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && $$ DISCUSSION...Woods AVIATION...Planz For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter