FXUS65 KPSR 251204 AAA AFDPSR AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ 505 AM MST WED NOV 25 2009 .UPDATE...UPDATED AVIATION AND FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSIONS && .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL KEEP CONDITIONS DRY AND WARM THROUGH FRIDAY. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING COOLER AND BREEZY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA THIS WEEKEND...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES LIKELY BY SUNDAY. && .DISCUSSION... RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN STATES WILL CONTINUE WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH FRIDAY...UNDER CLEAR SKIES. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE LOWER DESERTS THANKSGIVING DAY ARE EXPECTED TO TOP OUT IN THE UPPER 70S TO NEAR 80...BEFORE A COUPLE DEG OF COOLING FRIDAY. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A STRONG PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...WITH THE LATEST GFS/ECMWF INDICATING THE BEST CHANCE FOR MOUNTAIN SNOW AND LOWER ELEVATION RAIN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. EVEN STILL...MOISTURE IS LIMITED WITH THIS SYSTEM GIVEN THE INLAND TRAJECTORY...AND THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER WEATHER. MODELS ARE INDICATING A STRONG JET ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE TROUGH WILL AID IN BRINGING MUCH COLDER AIR FROM THE NORTHERN STATES ALL THE WAY SOUTHWARD INTO ARIZONA. BETWEEN TODAY AND SUNDAY...BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE INDICATING 700MB TEMPS WILL DROP FROM AROUND 3.5C TO -6C...WITH HIGHS AROUND 60 SUNDAY ACROSS THE WARMEST DESERTS. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE RATHER DRAMATICALLY OVER THE WEEKEND...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE CO RIVER VALLEY WESTWARD. THE ELEVATED WIND SPEEDS OVERNIGHT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY SHOULD KEEP TEMPS OVER THE WESTERN DESERTS RATHER MILD SUNDAY MORNING...IN THE MID 40S TO NEAR 50. LESS WIND IS EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL ARIZONA ZONES...WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DROPPING SEVERAL DEG...INTO THE LOW 40S /AND EVEN THIS MIGHT BE TOO WARM/. BY MONDAY MORNING...LESS WIND AND CLEAR SKIES WILL LEAD TO MAXIMUM RADIATIONAL COOLING...WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DIPPING INTO THE UPPER 30S ACROSS THE COOLER DESERT LOCALES. TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY...UPPER RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO BUILD AGAIN OVER THE WESTERN CONUS...WITH MOST OF THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES UNDER DRY NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT...WITH TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO NEAR NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. && .AVIATION... SOUTHEAST CA...SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL AZ...INCLUDING KIPL... KBLH...KPHX...AND KIWA. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL AGAIN LEAD TO MOSTLY CLEAR OR CLEAR SKIES FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS...THE ONLY CLOUDINESS BEING HIGH THIN CIRRUS. OTHERWISE WINDS WILL BE GENERALLY ON THE LIGHT SIDE...AND FAVOR THE NORTH THROUGH EAST. WINDS WILL BE MOSTLY FROM THE NORTH DOWN THE LOWER CO RIVER VALLEY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...WITH SOME GUSTS TO 20KT OR SO FROM 18Z WED THROUGH 01Z THU. OCCASIONAL BREEZES FROM THE NORTHEAST ARE LIKELY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ARIZONA...WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 18KT POSSIBLE MAINLY DURING THE MORNING HOURS TODAY. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALL AIRFIELDS NEXT 24 HOURS. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDED TAFS. && .FIRE WEATHER... FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BEGING TO WEAKEN FRIDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS WITH THE WARMEST DESERTS REACHING TO NEAR 80 DEGREES. WINDS WILL BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE...AND MINUMUM RH VALUES WILL BE BELOW 15 PERCENT OVER MUCH OF THE LOWER DESERTS. OVER THE WEEKEND A VIGOROUS AND RATHER COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER ARIZONA...LEADING TO SUBSTANTIAL COOL DOWN ALONG WITH INCREASING WIND. AS THE LOW DROPS SOUTH INTO ARIZONA SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA...WITH PEAK GUSTS BETWEEN 25KT AND 35KT FROM THE NORTH EXPECTED. THIS WILL BE A RATHER DRY SYSTEM FOR OUR AREA...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN EAST OF PHOENIX...MAINLY DURING THE DAY SUNDAY. OTHERWISE MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL BE USHERED INTO THE STATE WITH THIS SYSTEM. HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY WILL LOWER INTO LOWER 60S OVER MOST OF THE DESERTS...AND THIS WILL BE 10 DEGREES OR SO BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS. BY MONDAY MINIMUM RH VALUES WILL DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT OVER MOST OF THE DESERTS...BEHIND THE EXITING LOW. LESS WIND ALONG WITH A WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGHER PRESSURE RETURNS ...ALTHOUGH THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN QUITE DRY. && .PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX IS ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/PHOENIX DISCUSSION...WANEK AVIATION...CB FIRE WEATHER...CB
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