FXUS65 KVEF 210815 AFDVEF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 115 AM PDT Sun Jun 21 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... * Temperatures will continue to climb heading into the work week, with afternoon highs peaking Tuesday through Thursday. * Slight chances of isolated showers and thunderstorms mid-to-late week as monsoonal moisture creeps northward. && .DISCUSSION...Today through Saturday. Breezy southwesterly winds will continue today and Monday, but with lighter speeds than observed Friday and Saturday. Expect afternoon gusts generally between 10 and 20 mph, with greater speeds in the higher elevation. Otherwise, temperatures will continue to rise across the Desert Southwest as an area of high pressure over northern Mexico continues to build. Temperatures will peak Tuesday through Thursday, with afternoon highs 6 to 8 degrees above seasonal normals. Expect widespread Moderate Heat Risk (Level 2 of 4), with pockets of Major Heat Risk in the lower desert valleys including Death Valley, the Las Vegas Valley, and the Colorado River Valley. This level of heat affects anyone spending time outdoors without adequate hydration and without frequent breaks in the shade and/or air conditioning. Ensemble means continue to show the aforementioned ridge of high pressure shifting slightly eastward midweek. This eastward shift will allow a south-southwesterly flow to guide monsoonal moisture up the Colorado River Valley into the Mojave Desert. The amount of moisture is highly dependent on the exact location of the center of the high, as there remains some uncertainty regarding how far east it shifts. Regardless, both the GEFS and ECMWF ensemble means show between 0.75 and 1.00 inches of PWAT climbing into San Bernardino, Clark, and Mohave counties Wednesday and Thursday. Other than a weak vorticity maxima and afternoon heating, there is not much in the way of instability, so best chances (10-20%) of isolated showers and thunderstorms exist over the higher terrain, where there will be assistance from orographic lift. Forecast GFS soundings show persistent low level dry air on Wednesday and Thursday, with around 1800-2000 J/kg of DCAPE, implying that dry lightning and gusty winds will be the primary hazards with thunderstorms that form. A trough pushing into the Pacific Northwest late-week will bring dry air and gusty winds along with it, returning elevated fire danger to the region Friday and Saturday. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 06Z Forecast Package... South to southwest wind gusts to around 20 knots will persist until sunset before decreasing, but elevated south winds at 8-10KT are expected through much of the night before becoming light early Sunday morning. Winds on Sunday will be similar to today but slightly weaker and but may take on a southeasterly component by the afternoon. Smoke from nearby wildfires should not reduce visibility or CIGs directly at the terminals through the period, though wildfire smoke may impact slantwise visibility at times. Temperatures will exceed 100 degrees between 21Z through 01Z on Sunday. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...For the 06Z Forecast Package...West winds at 10-15KT are expected at KDAG with gusts over 25KT through the evening. Elsewhere, breezy south to southwest winds are expected with widespread 15-25KT gusts expected. Winds will diminish after sunset with gusts ending for most locations by 03Z but similar wind directions and speeds will resume again Sunday afternoon. VFR conditions persist through the period. Smoke from wildfires will advect northeast this afternoon in eastern Nevada into Utah, then dissipate as winds diminish tonight. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && $$ DISCUSSION...Soulat AVIATION...Nickerson/Outler For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter