Las Vegas is set to experience slightly warmer temperatures as a ridge of high pressure continues to influence the region. National Weather Service have highlighted that for the coming week, starting August 29, temperatures will linger a few degrees above seasonal norms. Looking ahead to the weekend, there's also an uptick in moisture projected for areas flanking the Colorado River Valley. This increase could heighten the chances of precipitation across northwestern Arizona, parts of southeastern California, and the mountains of southern Nevada come Friday and Saturday.
For those planning to head out into Mohave County during the period, the National Weather Service advises to be mindful of potential showers and thunderstorms in the forecast, which primarily looks to threaten on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Despite the dry conditions at lower levels, the showers and storms developing could bring along not just strong gusty winds but also dry lightning, which has been known to quickly start fires. While the tendency is towards these conditions, flash flooding hasn't been ruled out completely, especially if storms prove strong or become stationary.
Heading into late weekend and early next week, a closed low is expected to make its way to the northern California coast. This will likely result in stronger southerly winds across the southwestern Great Basin, sparking increased fire danger in certain counties like northern Inyo, Esmeralda, and southern Nye on Sunday and Monday. The National Weather Service highlighted conditions featuring relative humidity levels dropping between 10 and 15%, underscoring the fire risk during these days.
In terms of aviation, Las Vegas's Harry Reid International should anticipate light and variable winds shifting to easterly mid-day and then to southeasterly by 21Z. There seems to be some uncertainty as to when the typical shift to southwest will occur, which could be as late as sunset or as early as 01Z. Regardless of when it happens, forecasts suggest that winds will likely stay below 10kts during the afternoon and evening hours. For regional airports across southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, and southeast California, standard diurnal winds are expected to prevail.
