FXUS65 KVEF 151756 AAA
AFDVEF

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
955 AM PST TUE DEC 15 2009

.SYNOPSIS...A WESTERLY FLOW WILL BRING CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF HIGH 
CLOUDINESS AT TIMES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE 
BUILDING OVER THE AREA THURSDAY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE COMING 
WEEKEND RESULTING IN MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WITH TEMPERATURES A LITTLE 
ABOVE NORMAL. 
&&

.UPDATE...SATELLITE SHOWS HIGH CLOUDS ENHANCING IN THE LEE OF THE 
SOUTHERN SIERRA OVER INYO COUNTY. CLOUDINESS WILL CONTINUE TO 
ADVANCE EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA THIS 
AFTERNOON. TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY INDICATING 
THICKEST WAVE OF CLOUDS WILL BE COMING OVER LAS VEGAS THIS AFTERNOON 
AND TONIGHT. IN THE UPDATE WILL BEEF UP CLOUD COVER FOR THE REST OF 
TODAY. OTHERWISE NO CHANGES.
&&

.AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF THE WEST COAST 
WILL RESULT IN BROKEN TO OVERCAST MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS 
TODAY...OUTSIDE OF THAT...NO CHANGE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL REMAIN 
LIGHT AND OUT OF TYPICAL DIURNAL DIRECTIONS.

FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST 
CALIFORNIA...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 
SEVERAL DAYS WITH LIGHT WINDS AND BROKEN TO OVERCAST CLOUDS ABOVE 
15KFT MSL.
&&

.SHORT TERM....WESTERLY FLOW WILL BE OVER THE AREA TODAY THROUGH 
WEDNESDAY. A COUPLE OF SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE PACIFIC 
NORTHWEST WILL HELP BRING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF HIGH CLOUDINESS 
TO THE AREA DURING THIS TIME FRAME AND PERHAPS EVEN SOME LIGHT SNOW 
SHOWERS TO THE MOUNTAINS IN ESMERALDA AND FAR NORTHERN INYO COUNTY 
ON WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL START TO BUILD OVER THE AREA ON 
THURSDAY LEADING TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES WITH TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY 
ABOVE NORMAL.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY AND INTO NEXT WEEK...OVERALL MODEL CONSENSUS 
STILL POINTS TO RIDGING THROUGH THE EXTENDED...WHICH WILL RESULT IN 
NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS 
THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE ECMWF...GEM...AND GEFS ALL ARE IN GOOD 
AGREEMENT...AND TO SOME EXTENT PROG RIDGING OFF THE COAST TO AMPLIFY 
OVER THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK WHICH COULD...IN TURN...CORRESPOND 
TO LOWER HEIGHTS OVER THE FORECAST AREA BY MIDWEEK DEPENDING ON HOW 
FAR WEST THE RIDGE AXIS IS...SO WE MAY START TO SEE A DECREASE IN 
TEMPS BY THEN...BUT FOR NOW...BENIGN WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE.
&&

.VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...NONE.
AZ...NONE.
CA...NONE.
&&

$$

PIERCE/JACQUES/HARRISON/KENNEDY

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS