A strong Pacific storm system brought two rounds of high winds to the Mojave Desert and Southern Great Basin.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.
A strong Pacific storm system brought two rounds of high winds to the Mojave Desert and Southern Great Basin.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 2, 2:30 PM PST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
330 PM PDT WED MAY 2 2007
.SYNOPSIS...STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF THE MOJAVE
DESERT TONIGHT AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
THE LOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND
USHERING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES AND UNSETTLED CONDITIONS. &&
.SHORT TERM...SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTINUES TO TIGHTEN ACROSS
THE MOJAVE DESERT BETWEEN SURFACE LOW OVER EAST CENTRAL NEVADA AND
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST. AT 3 PM...THE GRADIENT WAS 14.1 HPA
BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND LOS ANGLES. WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT SET OF WIND
ADVISORIES THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT DEPENDING ON YOUR
LOCATION AS GRADIENT LINGERS ACROSS SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY BEFORE
RELAXING LATE TONIGHT. THE STRONG TROUGH RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WINDS
WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS EASTWARD INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST/NORTHERN
GREAT BASIN OVERNIGHT. MOISTURE LIMITED WITH TROUGH ACROSS THE
MOJAVE DESERT BUT MAY JUST BE ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR AN ISOLATED SHOWER
OR THUNDERSTORM ACROSS CENTRAL NEVADA WITH ADDITIONAL LIFT NEAR LEFT
FRONT QUADRANT OF 100+ KNOT JET. BREAK IN THE ACTION OCCURS THURSDAY
AS FORECAST AREA LIES UNDER COOL CYCLONIC FLOW. NAM/GFS IN AGREEMENT
NORTHWESTERLY JET STRENGTHENS WITH ADDITIONAL SHORT WAVE ENERGY
DIGGING SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY.
STORMS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TYPICALLY DRY FOR THE MOJAVE DESERT BUT
STRONG DYNAMICS SHOULD OVERCOME THE LACK OF MOISTURE WITH A SLIGHT
CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR LINCOLN...CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES.
MAY NEED MORE WIND ADVISORIES FRIDAY AS MODELS KICK UP WEST WINDS
PRECEDING THE FRONT ACROSS SAN BERNARDINO AND MOHAVE COUNTY WHILE
NORTH WINDS INCREASE FOLLOWING THE FRONT ACROSS ESMERALDA/NYE
COUNTIES. THE TROUGH STAYS EAST OF AREA...CENTERED OVER THE FOUR
CORNERS SATURDAY PLACING THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND MOJAVE DESERT
UNDER COOL NORTHERLY FLOW.
.LONG TERM...MODELS CONTINUE TO BRING THE NEXT SYSTEM TOWARDS THE
FOUR CORNERS AREA SATURDAY MORNING. HERE THE CLOSED LOW WILL REMAIN
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE EJECTING NORTHEAST..WITH THE ECMWF
FORECASTING A SOONER MOVE. STRONG RIDGE TO THE EAST SHOULD INHIBIT
EASTWARD MOVEMENT. THE RESULT FOR OUR AREA WILL MAKE FOR THE BEST
CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION TO BE IN OUR EASTERN ZONES SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY NEAREST THE LOW WITH THE BEST MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY.
LATEST TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE BRING TEMPERATURES UP AS HAS BEEN THE
TREND THE LAST FEW MODEL CYCLES WITH THE FURTHER EAST PLACEMENT OF
SYSTEM. DID RAISE TEMPERATURES A FEW BUT SOME LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN
JUST HOW HIGH TO RAISE THEM BASED ON EXTREME ENSEMBLE SPREAD. AFTER
MONDAY RIDGING WILL BUILD IN SOME WHICH MAY BRING TEMPERATURES UP
MORE THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST.
&&
AVIATION...FOR KLAS: GUSTS UP TO 35 KNOTS EXPECTED THROUGH 06Z
TONIGHT AND THEN DECREASING SLOWLY THE REST THE NIGHT AND MORNING.
PATCHY AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE POSSIBLE AND COULD BRING THE
VISIBILITY DOWN VERY BRIEFLY TO LESS THAN 2 MILES...BUT DID NOT PUT
IN THE TAF SINCE THE CHANCES ARE TOO SMALL TO JUSTIFY A TEMPO
CONDITION. AS MENTIONED IN LAST DISCUSSION DESCENTS AND DEPARTURES
IN AND OUT OF KLAS WILL BE TURBULENT THROUGH AT LEAST MIDNIGHT.
WINDS THURSDAY WILL STILL BE SOUTHWEST WITH GUSTS ONLY OCCASIONALLY
HITTING 25 KNOTS. NO SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER EXPECTED THE NEXT 24
HOURS
THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST
CALIFORNIA: WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE AREA
THROUGH LATE EVENING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR IN WESTERN SAN
BERNARDINO COUNTY AND THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SIERRA WHERE WIND GUSTS
UP TO 5O KNOTS ARE LIKELY. THE WINDS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE AFTER 10-11
PM THIS EVENING. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS ALOFT ARE PRESENT FOR
MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY IN THE LEE OF MOUNTAIN RANGES... ESPECIALLY
THE SIERRA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA RANGES THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING.
ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE NORTH OF A LINE
FROM NORTHERN DEATH VALLEY TO NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 9 PM THIS
EVENING FOR WIND GUSTS TO OVER 35 MPH AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
LESS THAN 15 PERCENT. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RECOVERY ABOVE 15 PERCENT
BY 9 PM.
&&
.VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR NVZ460>466.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT TONIGHT FOR NVZ016-018>020-022.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT TONIGHT FOR NVZ021.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR NVZ014-017.
AZ...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR AZZ101-102.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR AZZ001-003.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR AZZ036.
CA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CAZ226>229.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT TONIGHT FOR CAZ519-520.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR CAZ523>525.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CAZ522.
&&
PIERCE/JACQUES
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGASPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
233 PM PDT WED MAY 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1240 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 SE BAKER 35.21N 116.00W
05/02/2007 M41 MPH SAN BERNARDINO CA MESONET
1256 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DAGGETT 34.86N 116.88W
05/02/2007 M46 MPH SAN BERNARDINO CA ASOS
&&
BFUISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
244 PM PDT WED MAY 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1100 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 N ASPENDELL 37.25N 118.58W
05/02/2007 M50 MPH INYO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
BFUISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED EVENT TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
303 PM PDT WED MAY 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1230 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 27 ENE GOLDFIELD 37.80N 116.76W
05/02/2007 M42 MPH NYE NV MESONET
TONOPAH TEST RANGE
&&
BFUISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
324 PM PDT WED MAY 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0253 PM NON-TSTM WND GST INDIAN SPRINGS 36.57N 115.67W
05/02/2007 M48 MPH CLARK NV ASOS
0204 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 S LAS VEGAS (DOWNTOWN 36.10N 115.15W
05/02/2007 M41 MPH CLARK NV ASOS
MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
&&
BFUISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
343 PM PDT WED MAY 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0316 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SE MT. CHARLESTON 36.27N 115.60W
05/02/2007 M40 MPH CLARK NV MESONET
0330 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 6 SSE HAYFORD PK 36.58N 115.14W
05/02/2007 M41 MPH CLARK NV MESONET
DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
&&
BFUISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
419 PM PDT WED MAY 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0313 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 24 SE MESQUITE 36.58N 113.73W
05/02/2007 M51 MPH MOHAVE AZ MESONET
TWEEDS POINT RAWS. ELEVATION 5200 MSL.
&&
BFUISThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A gust to 61 mph was measured 1 mile E of Red Rock Canyon.
A gust to 60 mph was measured by the Desert NWR RAWS (6 miles SSE of Hayford Peak).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, May 2007
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 25283, 25284.