370 
FXUS65 KPSR 170850
AFDPSR

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
150 AM MST Mon Nov 17 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Another large Pacific weather disturbance will bring the next
  opportunity for rain mainly on Tuesday and Wednesday with
  additional chances likely arriving by next weekend.

- Temperatures this week will hover below the seasonal normal with
  readings around 10 degrees below normal during the middle of 
  the week.
  
&&

.SHORT TERM /Today through Wednesday/... 
The first weather system was somewhat of a miss for the region as
most of the energy ended up going through California into the
Great Basin, but it at least moistened up the atmosphere for the
next round. Current water vapor imagery shows the first system
continuing to push to the northeast through Utah and Colorado 
with a second strong shortwave trough diving southward along the 
northern coast of California. A much smaller vort max is also 
noted just west of southern California and this feature may help 
to bring some scattered shower activity later today as it quickly 
swings through central Arizona. 

The first part of today will remain quiet across the region with
some decent peaks of sunshine. Highs today are expected to top out 
in the lower 70s, while moisture begins to increase again ahead of
the next weather system. PWATs are forecast to rise to around 1" 
by later this afternoon and stay there across the Arizona lower 
deserts through at least Tuesday and probably much of Wednesday. 
Forecast soundings show ample moisture within a layer between 
5-15K feet for later today into early Tuesday, deepening further 
by Tuesday afternoon. Moisture levels of around 200% of normal are
expected to last through Wednesday providing plenty of chances 
for decent rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday as the main 
shortwave trough slowly tracks across the region.

The current forecast shows the potential for mostly scattered 
light showers developing as early as mid to late this afternoon 
across south-central Arizona with slightly higher chances during 
the evening hours. Once the low center moves closer to southern 
California later tonight into early Tuesday, much of the area will
begin to see increasing forced ascent with showers and some 
occasional embedded thunderstorms becoming more widespread across 
southern and central Arizona. This area should continue to see 
periodic showers Tuesday with southeast California likely only 
seeing a brief 3-6 hour window of scattered showers. Rainfall 
amounts on Tuesday are likely to exceed 0.5" in some locations 
across south-central Arizona with much lower amounts across 
southeast California and southwest Arizona. 

Guidance then shows the low center moving across southern
California early on Wednesday before picking up speed as it
finally tracks through Arizona Wednesday night. Much of central
and eastern Arizona will continue to see occasional shower 
activity Tuesday night and Wednesday with additional rainfall 
amounts of 0.25-0.50" or so. Average forecast rainfall totals for 
the entire event are as little as a trace across southeast 
California to as high as 1-2" across the higher terrain just north
and northeast of the Phoenix area. The south-central Arizona 
lower deserts are currently expected to see anywhere from 0.5-1.0"
with locally higher amounts possible. Given this expected 
rainfall will fall over a 48-60 hour window, we are not 
anticipating any flooding issues but area washes are likely to be
flowing at times. 

Temperatures will also cool further going into the middle part of
the week with highs at or just below 70 degrees on Tuesday and
mostly in the mid 60s on Wednesday.

&&

.LONG TERM /Thursday through Sunday/...
The forecast for later this week and through the weekend is much
less certain as guidance is unsure of the track of a third weather
system. Thursday is likely to be a mostly dry day with only some
lingering light shower chances across eastern Arizona as the
second system will be exiting to the east. However, by Friday and
Saturday rain chances may again spread over the region as yet
another fairly potent Pacific trough tracks southward along the 
coast of California. Over the past couple of days, guidance has
been trending toward keeping the low more to our west, 
potentially far enough to the west to not bring widespread rain 
chances. However, it may eventually swing through our region by 
around Sunday or next Monday. Forecast PoPs and rainfall amounts 
for this third event are still very uncertain and changes are 
expected. If the low center does manage to stay completely to our 
west and south (20-30% probability), we may not see much 
additional precipitation, but it seems more likely it will at some
point swing through the Desert Southwest. We should hopefully 
have a better idea what will happen during the middle part of 
this week. 

&&

.AVIATION...Updated at 0545Z. 

South Central Arizona including KPHX, KIWA, KSDL, and KDVT: 
No major aviation concerns are anticipated through Monday
afternoon under SCT to at times BKN low (bases 5-7 kft AGL) and
high cloud decks. Expect winds to return to typical E/SE drainage
directions within the next few hours. SE winds should then prevail
through most of the TAF period. Monday evening and overnight into
Tuesday, anticipate VCSH/SHRA conditions to once again develop,
with VFR CIGs around 050-060 filling in over the PHX airspace.
Scattered lower decks will be possible. The main concerns with
this initial round of showers Monday evening will be brief MVFR
CIGS (10-20% chance), the potential for MVFR or lower VIS during
rain (10% chance), brief gusty and erratic winds near showers, and
isolated TS (15% chance). Best timing of SHRA conditions for this
initial round will be 02-06Z.

Southeast California/Southwest Arizona including KIPL and KBLH: 
No major aviation concerns will exist through Monday evening under
increasing high clouds and occasional FEW-SCT lower decks with 
bases between 6-12 kft AGL. West winds at KIPL will relax 
overnight, and winds have already begun to exhibit variability at 
KBLH. Winds will then develop a southerly fetch by late Monday 
morning and through the afternoon as another weather system 
approaches the region from the west. 

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
After a brief respite to the active weather pattern during the
first half of today, rain chances will increase later today with  
wetting rainfall chances returning by Tuesday morning. Periods of
showers and a few isolated thunderstorms will affect much of the
eastern districts on Tuesday with much more limited activity  
across the western districts. Below normal temperatures and
elevated moisture will remain in place keeping MinRHs between 
40-70%, while overnight recoveries will be good to excellent at 
60-100%. Locally gusty winds upwards of 20 mph will be possible at
times, though weaker wind speeds will be more common through the 
period. The active weather with rain chances persisting across the
eastern districts should continue through Wednesday before a 
brief break is seen on Thursday. Another weather system may 
eventually affect the area by the weekend as temperatures mostly 
remain below normal and humidities stay elevated.

&&

.PSR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AZ...None.
CA...None.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Kuhlman
LONG TERM...Kuhlman
AVIATION...Whittock
FIRE WEATHER...Kuhlman