


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
Issued by NWS Phoenix, AZ
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089 FXUS65 KPSR 261725 AFDPSR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Phoenix AZ 1025 AM MST Thu Jun 26 2025 .UPDATE...Updated 18Z Aviation Discussion && .KEY MESSAGES... - Temperatures will gradually heat up into the weekend reaching to above normal levels with widespread Moderate HeatRisk across all areas by Sunday - Extreme Heat Watch is in effect for the Phoenix metro Sunday through Tuesday with areas of Major HeatRisk and high temperatures topping 110 degrees - Dry conditions will prevail through at least the weekend, but a gradual increase in moisture next week is likely to lead to increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms by the middle to latter part of the week && .DISCUSSION... A dry air mass remains in place across all of southern California and Arizona as the stationary trough over the region continues to erode. This feature should still be recognizable through the rest of today, but as it continues to fill we will begin the process of warming up. After the below normal highs yesterday of around or just over 100 degrees, we are expecting highs back into the normal range today and even a few degrees above normal on Friday. By Friday night into Saturday, the sub-tropical ridge will quickly become the dominant weather feature over our region with H5 heights rising to near 590dm. With the dry air mass remaining over the region, the high pressure ridge will push daytime highs to around 110 degrees by Saturday resulting in widespread Moderate HeatRisk across the area. Once the ridge fully settles back over our region this weekend, guidance shows it strengthening a bit further Sunday into Monday with H5 heights likely peaking between 591-593dm on Monday. This should easily push daytime highs to over 110 degrees for Sunday and Monday and likely even into Tuesday if the ridge stays in place. NBM temperature guidance shows highs peaking on Monday between 111-115 degrees across the lower deserts with areas of Major HeatRisk focused over the Phoenix Metro. An Extreme Heat Watch remains in effect for the Phoenix area for Sunday-Tuesday. This time around, the heat episode is likely to be accompanied by higher moisture levels as we will begin to see surface dew points creep upward into the 40s for Sunday and Monday to as high as the lower 50s for Tuesday. The marginally higher humidities are likely to keep overnight lows quite warm starting Sunday night with KPHX potentially seeing it`s first 90 degree low of the season. This next heat episode is likely to meet its end by next Wednesday, not fully due to the ridge getting displaced out of the region or weakening, but also because of our first good dose of monsoon moisture advecting into the region from the southeast. Guidance has been consistent in showing modest sub-tropical moisture advecting first into southeast Arizona Monday and Tuesday and then likely into south-central Arizona by next Wednesday and Thursday. This moisture advection is likely to be partially aided by an increase in southerly flow in between a weak Pacific trough that develops just off the California coast Sunday into Monday and the ridge to our northeast. This should help to gradually increase moisture over our region into the middle part of next week with high terrain convection possible as early as Tuesday and maybe into the south-central lower deserts as early as Wednesday. By late next week, we may even be able to see some deeper tropical moisture seep into portions of our area, but this will be dependent upon what happens with a potential Tropical Cyclone south of Baja during the middle part of next week. If we do end up seeing some tropical moisture at some point late next week, right now it looks to fall on around next Friday. There are still a lot of what-ifs, but we can at least point toward the 6-10 day CPC outlook which shows a 70-80% chance of above normal precipitation late next week. We will hopefully have a better idea on our rainfall potential over the next few days. && .AVIATION...Updated at 1725Z. South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, KDVT: No aviation weather concerns are expected during the TAF period. Another similar pattern today as winds will continue to follow typical diurnal shifts. Seasonal afternoon sporadic gusts in the mid to upper teens will develop during the afternoon hours. Only clouds present over the region will be a FEW mid-level clouds to the far east of the terminals. Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: No aviation concerns are expected during the TAF period. Winds will continue to follow diurnal trends, with some occasional breeziness at KBLH in the afternoon. While not directly impacting sfc visibilities, lofted smoke/haze may occasionally affect slantwise visibilities during the late afternoon/evening hours at KIPL. && .FIRE WEATHER... High pressure will gradually strengthen across the region through the weekend leading to a strong warming trend and continued dry conditions. Temperatures will warm to above normal starting Friday before peaking early next week. Expect little change in humidity trends as MinRH values continue to range between 5-15% each day and overnight recoveries stay between 20-35%. Winds will follow familiar diurnal trends with typical afternoon breeziness, gusting mainly between 15-20 mph. Eventually, the weather pattern should become more favorable for increasing moisture and at least some scattered high terrain showers and thunderstorms by around next Tuesday. This may initially result a day or two of dry lightning concerns before moisture and rainfall chances increases later next week. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...Extreme Heat Watch from Sunday morning through Tuesday evening for AZZ537-540-542>544-546-548-550-551. CA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Kuhlman AVIATION...Ryan/RW FIRE WEATHER...Young/Kuhlman