669
FXUS65 KVEF 180939
AFDVEF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
239 AM PDT Sat Apr 18 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Temperatures warm over the weekend into early next week, with
  gusty north winds continuing along the Lower Colorado River
  Valley.

* The next system to impact the region arrives midweek, bringing
  cooler temperatures, another round of gusty winds, and high
  elevation rain and snow to the area.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

In the wake of the departing trough that brought much cooler
temperatures and windy conditions to the region on Friday, ridging
has already started building in from the west. Mid-level and upper
level moisture will maintain passing high clouds through the
weekend, though increasing thicknesses will result in a warming
trend that will produce a quick rebound in temperatures, with
highs close to normal today, and around 8-10 degrees above normal
Sunday through Tuesday. While winds will be noticeably lighter
across most of the region today, lingering terrain-enhanced gusty
northerly winds are expected through portions of the Lower
Colorado River Valley, namely from near Laughlin-Bullhead City to
Needles, where intermittent gusts to around 30-35 mph are expected
through early afternoon. While the ridge axis will quickly shift
eastward ahead of the next system taking shape off of the West
Coast, the strength of the high pressure as well as the transition
to southwesterly flow aloft will not only maintain the warming
trend, but also allow for an uptick in winds Sunday into early
next week, particularly across the Sierra and southwestern Great
Basin.

Ensembles and cluster analyses remain in fairly good agreement
regarding the evolution of the upper pattern, with the previously
mentioned trough off of the West Coast moving inland early next
week, gradually dampening and developing a subtle positive tilt as
it swings across the Great Basin midweek. Precise timing of this
system remains uncertain, though given its expected trajectory, the
primary impacts expected across the region will be a return of gusty
winds sometime around Tuesday, along with a sharp cool-down midweek.
Precipitation chances remain rather scant, ranging from around 10-
30% and focused generally over the Sierra and southern Great Basin,
with the best chance to see precipitation over the higher terrain.
Snow levels are currently expected to drop from around 8500 feet to
around 6500 feet as the trough translates eastward, though with QPF
generally under 0.10" for most, impacts are expected to be minimal.
As this trough moves east and phases with another trough over the
northern Plains late next week, ensembles indicate additional
troughing off of the California Coast, which will largely keep
temperatures in check late next week, capping highs near normal in
the wake of the midweek system. Stay tuned.

&&

.AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 12Z Forecast Package...Light
northwesterly winds will continue through mid-morning when winds
will pick up and swing around to the northeast. Breezy
northeasterly winds with 15 to 20 knot gusts continuing through
the afternoon. Winds will become light and variable as they begin
to transition to a more westerly direction during the early
evening hours. Winds will remain light, favoring a westerly
direction through the overnight period. VFR conditions will
persist with high clouds aoa 15 kft increasing throughout the
day.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...For the 12Z Forecast Package...With the exception of
the Colorado River Valley where winds will remain elevated
through the overnight period with northerly winds gusting to
around 20 to 30 knots, winds across the rest of the region will
remain relatively light overnight with winds favoring typical,
nocturnal directions. Breezy northerly winds will pick up across
southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona with 15 to 25 knot gusts
continuing through the afternoon before dropping off during the
evening. Out in the western Mojave Desert, winds will favor
typical diurnal directional trends with sustained speeds of 10
knots or less. Breezy southeasterly, up- valley winds will pick up
in the Owens Valley late Saturday morning, continuing through the
afternoon before dropping off overnight. VFR conditions will persist
with high clouds aoa 12 kft increasing throughout the day.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Phillipson
AVIATION...Stessman

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NWS Las Vegas (VEF) Office