
Brace yourself for a gusty evening, Las Vegas and surrounding areas. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a forecast predicting windy conditions for the Lower Colorado River Valley. According to the NWS Las Vegas NV Area Forecast Discussion, gusty north winds of 10-20 mph are expected across much of the forecast area from this afternoon through early tomorrow morning as a surface pressure gradient increases. Peak gusts could reach 40-45 mph, particularly between Laughlin-Bullhead City and Needles.
For those planning evening activities or an early start tomorrow, the Wind Advisory is no joke. It takes effect from 6 PM PST/7 PM MST today through 4 PM PST/5 PM MST tomorrow. While the stronger gusts are expected to ease by tomorrow afternoon, lingering northern breezes will persist, gusting around 15-25 mph in areas like Laughlin-Bullhead City and Needles through Thursday. Meanwhile, temperatures in the Mojave Desert zones are forecast to be 8-10 degrees above normal, providing a warm respite with highs ranging from the upper 60s to lower 70s.
Moving into the weekend and looking ahead to the holiday week, a fairly quiet pattern with high-amplitude ridging paves the way for sustained above-normal temperatures. But not all is still, as a series of Pacific systems are on the horizon. The NWS outlook notes increasing clouds and winds picking up in the Sierra crest as a result. An upper-level trough is anticipated to reach the West Coast on Saturday before journeying inland. It's expected to bring some changes, but the exact nature remains uncertain as models are showing various outcomes regarding the strength and moisture content of the upcoming system.
Anticipating the potential weather shifts, aviation operations should prepare for light north-northeast winds through the morning at Harry Reid International, with a shift to stronger north-northwest winds around sunset, as mentioned in the NWS report. These could range from 8 to 10 knots, with a possibility of gusts between 15 and 20 knots. The Colorado River Valley, on the other hand, will experience north winds that are nothing to balk at, with a 70-80% chance of gusts exceeding 30 knots at KIFP and KEED this afternoon through tomorrow morning. Nighttime should see a return to breezier northeast winds. The sky will play host to "SCT-BKN aoa 15 kft" through the period, so look forward to that if you're a cloud watcher. And, for those volunteering their time, spotter reports on these weather conditions are very much welcome.