Bishop, California 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

152
FXUS65 KVEF 210440
AFDVEF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
840 PM PST Sat Dec 20 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Gusty winds, light-to-moderate rainfall, and mountain snow
  expected in the higher elevations of the southwestern Great Basin
  through Monday.

* Mid-to-late week, widespread rainfall, isolated instances of flash
  flooding, high-elevation snowfall, and gusty winds will impact
  Christmas travel.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Today through Friday.

Latest high resolution guidance continues to highlight the potential
for strong gusty downslope winds off the eastern Sierra slopes and
into the northern portions of the Owens Valley on Sunday. There is a
50-70% chance of gusts exceeding 40 mph in Bishop, Big Pine, and
across Highway 395, as well as a 60-70% chance of gusts exceeding 58
mph in the eastern Sierra including Aspendell. As a result, hoisted
a Wind Advisory through the day on Sunday for these two zones.
Otherwise, continuing to see the potential for precipitation
isolated to the higher elevations of the southwestern Great Basin.
Sierra spillover will be limited, though Aspendell can expect
between 1 and 3 inches of fresh snowfall, with Mt. Whitney expecting
around 1 foot. Elsewhere, spillover will simply look like increased
cloud cover. Above-normal temperatures continue, with additional
daily records in jeopardy (see CLIMATE section below).

On Tuesday, gusty south winds will pick up in the southern Great
Basin, with gust speeds generally 25 to 35 mph across northern Inyo,
Esmeralda, and central Nye counties. Gusty south winds spread across
the forecast area on Wednesday, with widespread chances of Wind
Advisory-level speeds (40-60%). Gusty winds linger into Christmas
Day before speeds fall off heading into the weekend. Regarding
precipitation, the first push of moisture will move into the region
late-Tuesday, will have subtropical origins (with snow levels
exceeding 9000 feet), and will saturate the atmosphere column.
Forecast PWATs range from 0.80 to 1.10 inches across the forecast
area, which will couple with orographic lift to produce the
potential to drop over an inch of measurable rainfall across area
mountains. Sierra spillover moisture will combine with this
subtropical moisture plume, resulting in the greatest forecast
precipitation amounts existing across Inyo and western San
Bernardino counties Tuesday night through Wednesday. While
confidence is high that the entire forecast area will observe
measurable rainfall, the confidence in exact amounts remains low at
this time, with 5-15% chance of flash flooding across the Mojave
Desert. The second round of moisture impacts the region after
Christmas and will be accompanied by a drop in PWATs to between 0.50
and 0.75" and snow levels dropping to 5000-6000 feet, which will
allow area mountains to receive fresh snowfall.
&&

.AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 06Z Forecast Package...
High confidence that winds following typical directional patterns
will continue through at least mid Sunday afternoon with speeds less
than 7 knots. After 22z, winds may shift more southeast to south and
briefly gust to around 10-12 knots. Confidence in these gusts is
less than 20% as winds may remain under 7 knots into the evening,
but confidence is higher in the direction. VFR conditions will
prevail, with periods of high clouds at or above 15KFT.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...For the 06Z Forecast Package...Winds overnight will
follow typical light wind patterns with most areas seeing winds less
than 10 knots. The exception will be KDAG where west winds will
occasionally gust to 15 knots at times. Winds will remain less than
10 knots over most areas through early afternoon, but increasing
south to southwest winds at most TAF sites are likely with gusts up
to 15 knots possible. KBIH will see light winds in the morning, but
have low confidence in winds during the afternoon as winds Sunday
afternoon will either become gusty out of the northwest or continue
to be southeast at 10KT. SCT-BKN at or above 15kft will continue to
stream across the region.

&&

.CLIMATE...Numerous climate locations have a forecast high
temperature and/or forecast warm low temperature within 3 degrees of
the daily record through Monday.

The table below shows the daily record maximum temperature and the
year the record was last set. An asterisk (*) denotes which records
are in jeopardy (within 3 degrees of the forecast).

MAX            SAT, DEC 20  SUN, DEC 21  MON, DEC 22
               Record(Yr)   Record(Yr)   Record(Yr)

Las Vegas      73(1981)     68(2023)*    75(2014)
Bishop         71(1972)     70(2018)*    74(2014)
Needles        76(1981)     75(2005)*    74(2020)*
Daggett        78(1981)*    76(2018)*    78(1955)
Kingman        74(1917)     73(1917)     72(1906)*
Desert Rock    69(2020)     70(2020)*    70(2014)*
Death Valley   79(1999)     81(1999)     82(1914)

The table below shows the daily record warm minimum temperature and
the year the record was last set. An asterisk (*) denotes which
records are in jeopardy (within 3 degrees of the forecast).

WARM MIN       SAT, DEC 20  SUN, DEC 21  MON, DEC 22
               Record(Yr)   Record(Yr)   Record(Yr)

Las Vegas      50(2010)*    53(2023)*    50(2024)*
Bishop         42(1981)     40(2023)*    39(2014)
Needles        61(1901)     58(2010)     60(1904)
Daggett        52(1981)*    53(1981)*    59(1955)
Kingman        51(2010)     51(1904)     46(2005)*
Desert Rock    45(2010)*    44(2010)*    44(1994)*
Death Valley   65(1999)     60(1914)     70(1914)
&&


.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Soulat
AVIATION...Gorelow


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