733 FXUS65 KVEF 302351 AFDVEF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 351 PM PST Tue Dec 30 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... * Increasing rain chances are expected New Years Eve and New Years Day across the region with very high snow levels. * Active pattern will continue through the first week of January with periods of unsettled conditions expected. && .DISCUSSION...through Monday. Considerable cirrus overcast dominates much of the region this afternoon in advance of our next weather system. Satellite imagery illustrates a deep fetch of subtropical moisture extending from the US-MX Border southward into the subtropics. This moisture will advance northward tonight and into NYE as low pressure offshore approaches the West Coast. Low levels remain dry this afternoon, with surface dewpoints largely in the teens and 20s, and with limited surface winds advecting moisture, all the moistening will have to come from the top downward. This lends to a rather overcast Wednesday with considerable virga but it will take some time to see precipitation reaching the ground, and best chances of this wont be until the late afternoon and evening hours. As this initial moisture surge lifts north, light stratiform rain will spread through the deserts and into the four corners states by early Thursday morning. Precipitation totals with this first batch will be quite light, owing to a very slow moistening of the low levels and limited dynamic forcing to enhance precip rates. An additional round of light rain is expected New Years Day as the primary shortwave lifts into the Great Basin. Meanwhile, snow levels will remain quite high, generally 9000-11000 feet (which is quite impressive during what should be the coldest time of the year), so winter weather impacts are expected to be quite limited. Drier conditions will resume on Friday but troughing offshore will keep some precipitation chances going across the Sierra and Great Basin into the weekend. Additional shortwaves are suggested by longer range guidance beyond the weekend, suggesting active weather will continue with periodic precip chances and gusty winds. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 00Z Forecast Package...Clouds will continue increasing across the area through the forecast period, with ceilings gradually dropping to under 10kft by daybreak. Ceilings thereafter will generally be between 7-9kft through mid afternoon, when a round of showers is expected to move northward into the Las Vegas Valley. Initially, showers will be focused across the higher terrain, though late in the period, light showers are expected to move into the Valley, and would be accompanied by lower ceilings to around 5kft and potential brief visibility reductions, along with persistent terrain obscuration. Winds will remain under 8KT through tomorrow afternoon, generally following diurnal directional patterns with some variability. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...For the 00Z Forecast Package...Elevated and gusty northerly winds will continue through the Lower Colorado River Valley, where terrain will favor gusts to 20-25KT at KEED through sunset, with gusts to 25-35KT at KIFP through late tonight before gusts diminish. Elsewhere, winds will remain light, generally following diurnal directional patterns with some variability. Clouds will continue increasing across the region the next 24 hours, with ceilings dropping to around 8-10kft areawide by morning. A round of showers is expected to move northward into the area by early afternoon, first impacting southeastern California and northwestern Arizona, then progressing into southern Nevada beyond the end of the forecast period. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && $$ DISCUSSION...Outler AVIATION...Phillipson For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter