FXUS65 KVEF 042312
AFDVEF
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
312 PM PST THU DEC 4 2008
.SYNOPSIS...A CLEAR SKY IS EXPECTED TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF A SYSTEM
THAT PASSED ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE A DRY
NORTHERLY FLOW WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE NEXT SEVEN
DAYS WITH LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HIGH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED.
LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE CLOSER TO NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND THEN
WARM UP SEVERAL DEGREES BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.SHORT TERM...SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW A BAND OF HIGH CLOUDS CROSSING
THE MOJAVE DESERT IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS
MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN THIS AFTERNOON. THESE HIGH
CLOUDS AS WELL AS A SHALLOW INVERSION STILL IN PLACE TRAPPING
LOW-LEVEL COLD AIR IN THE VALLEYS HELPED TO KEEP TEMPS DOWN TODAY IN
MOST AREAS. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS IS EXPECTED TO SWING
SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AND THIS WILL RESULT IN CLOUDS DECREASING ACROSS
THE AREA. THIS MORNING MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DROPPED TO 43
DEGREES...THE COLDEST IT HAS BEEN ALL SEASON. ALTHOUGH CLOUDS WILL
BE GONE TONIGHT...WINDS LOOK TO STAY UP A LITTLE MORE SO THINK LOW
TEMPS TONIGHT WILL BE JUST A HAIR BELOW THIS MORNING...IF NOT THE
SAME ACROSS THE AREA.
AS THE UPPER TROUGH SINKS SOUTH TOMORROW A PIECE OF ENERGY BREAKS
OFF FROM THE TROUGH AXIS AND CLOSES OFF INTO AN UPPER LOW BY
TOMORROW NIGHT OFF THE COAST OF SOCAL. THIS FEATURE LOOKS TO THEN
REMAIN OFFSHORE SOUTHWEST OF SAN DIEGO UNTIL GETTING SHUNTED INTO
NORTHERN MEXICO ON SUNDAY AS AN UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES THE PAC NW.
OVERALL THE WEEKEND LOOKS GENERALLY SUNNY EXCEPT FOR SOME HIGH
CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW OFFSHORE THAT MAY SKIM SOUTHERN
SECTIONS. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A SHALLOW INVERSION HOLDING ON AND
THIS WILL TRAP LOW-LEVEL COLD AIR IN THE VALLEYS. THE BIGGEST STORY
WILL BE THAT WE ARE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT THE COLDEST LOWS OF THE
SEASON SO FAR FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS WITH AREAS AWAY FROM
DOWNTOWN AND THE STRIP IN LAS VEGAS POSSIBLY SEEING SOME MID TO
UPPER 30S FOR LOWS. THIS SOUNDS CHILLY SINCE WE HAVE BEEN SO WARM
LATELY...BUT IS ACTUALLY STILL ABOVE NORMAL.
.LONG TERM...MONDAY STARTS OUT WITH GOOD AGREEMENT IN HAVING A RIDGE
OFF THE COAST AND DRY NORTHWEST FLOW OVER AREA. SOME DIFFERENCES
APPEAR RIGHT AWAY IN DEPICTION OF TROUGH COMING OUT OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA RAPIDLY MONDAY/TUESDAY. ECMWF IS THE DEEPEST WITH THIS
SYSTEM WHILE WITH THE GFS IT IS BARELY DISCERNIBLE AND DGEX IS
BETWEEN. WENT AHEAD AND AND TOOK THE MIDDLE ROUTE. MAIN CONCERN WILL
BE WINDS ON TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND WEAK FRONT
ASSOCIATED WITH MONDAYS TROUGH PASSAGE. FOR NOW DOUBT IF WINDS WILL
GET STRONGER THAN BREEZY IN THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY. OTHER
WISE RIDGE WILL EDGE INLAND A LITTLE AND GO A LITTLE ZONAL AS NEXT
WEEK PROGRESSES.
&&
.AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN..LIGHT NORTHEAST WINDS...UNDER 10
KNOTS...FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON THEN LIGHT UNDER 6 KNOTS OVER
NIGHT FAVORING A NORTHWEST DIRECTION. SAME WIND SCENARIO FOR
FRIDAY. THE HIGH LEVEL CIRRUS CEILINGS WILL GIVE WAY TO MOSTLY
CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT AND ON INTO FRIDAY EVENING.
FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA...LIGHT WINDS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A WEAK
FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH HE AREA THIS EVENING RESULTING IN NORTH
WINDS ON FRIDAY WITH WIND SPEEDS AROUND T10 TO 20 KNOTS AND MAYBE
STRONGER N NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS OVER LINCOLN...NORTHERN NYE AND
THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY BY FRIDAY MORNING. CIRRUS CLOUDS WILL MOVE
OUT OF THE AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT TO MAKE FOR MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES FRIDAY.
&&
.VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...NONE.
AZ...NONE.
CA...NONE.
&&
$$
STACHELSKI/JACQUES
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
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