Another push of monsoon moisture led to thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert, some of which produced severe weather and flash flooding.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Another push of monsoon moisture led to thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert, some of which produced severe weather and flash flooding.
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 Aug 7, 8:50 AM PST, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 950 AM PDT THU AUG 7 2008 .SYNOPSIS...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL REMAIN OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA AND NEARBY SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA TODAY RESULTING IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME STORMS. A DRIER SOUTHWEST FLOW IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP FOR THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THUNDERSTORMS CONFINED TO NORTHWEST ARIZONA. && .UPDATE...ROUGHLY THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA PRETTY MOIST AND FAIRLY UNSTABLE TODAY. CONVECTION WHICH DEVELOPED VERY EARLY THIS MORNING IN FAR SOUTHEAST SAN BERNARDINO HAS BEEN MAINTAINING IF NOT EXPANDING. UPDATED ZONES AND GRIDS EARLIER TO INCREASE POPS A LITTLE. DO NOT ANTICIPATE ADDITIONAL UPDATES THIS MORNING. && .PREVIOUS UPDATE...ELEVATED CONVECTION WAS DEVELOPING NEAR THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY AND MOHAVE COUNTY. THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS ON THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CENTERED AROUND YUMA. RECENT RADAR RETURNS SHOWED CELLS WERE FAIRLY DISORGANIZED AND SHORT LIVED BUT OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING STRIKES WERE DETECTED. THIS AREA OF UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT SHOULD SLOWLY PUSH NORTH THOUGH 18Z. AN UPDATE WAS SENT TO INCLUDE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING ACROSS SOUTHERN SAN BERNARDINO AND MOHAVE COUNTIES. .PREV DISCUSSION.../415 AM PDT THU AUG 7 2008/...SHORT TERM...THE DEEP MOISTURE BOUNDARY HAS CHANGED LITTLE FROM WEDNESDAY WITH THE WESTERN EDGE EXTENDING FROM EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY UP THROUGH CENTRAL CLARK AND LINCOLN COUNTIES. A MORE SOUTHERLY MID LEVEL STEERING FLOW IS FORECAST TODAY AND A WEAK DISTURBANCE EVIDENT AROUND THE 400 MB LEVEL IS FORECAST BY THE 06Z NAM AND GFS TO MOVE SLOWLY FROM NEAR YUMA UP THROUGH SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA INTO SOUTHERN NEVADA THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS. THE GFS APPEARS TO BE A LITTLE STRONGER WITH THIS FEATURE. THIS MAY ENHANCE CONVECTION OVER EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO AND CLARK COUNTIES AS LONG AS SURFACE HEATING IS SUFFICIENT TO INITIATE...WHICH APPEARS TO BE THE CASE. THE GFS AND ECMWF CONTINUE TO INDICATE SOUTHWEST FLOW GRADUALLY DRYING OUT THE MID LEVELS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...THOUGH THE ECMWF RESURGES LOW LEVEL MOISTURE UP THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY FRIDAY. DO NOT SEE A GOOD REASON FOR THIS AND IT SEEMS OVERDONE. THE NAM SHOWS LESS SOUTHWEST FLOW SATURDAY THAN THE GFS AND ECMWF. PREFER THE CONSISTENCY OF THE GFS AND ECMWF AND WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW THE DIMINISHING THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE FROM WEST TO EAST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE MENTION OF THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS CONFINED TO MOHAVE AND FAR EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES SATURDAY. .LONG TERM...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS LOOKS TO SWING THROUGH THE THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE WESTERN CONUS ON SUNDAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH A CLOSED UPPER LOW THAT HEADS ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA. THIS TROUGH AXIS WILL HELP TO TURN THE FLOW ALOFT TO A WESTERLY DIRECTION WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DRY OUT MUCH OF THE AREA. THE OPERATIONAL GFS PLUNGES PWATS BELOW A HALF AN INCH AS FAR EAST AS A PIOCHE TO LAS VEGAS TO AMBOY LINE AND THE ECMWF ALSO SHOWS SIGNIFICANT DRYING TAKING PLACE AS WELL. AS A RESULT TWEAKED POPS DOWN EVEN FURTHER. JUST HOW FAST MOISTURE WILL RETURN TO THE REGION WILL DEPEND UPON HOW QUICK THE UPPER FLOW ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS TRANSITIONS BACK TO A RIDGE. MONDAY APPEARS TO BE A TRANSITION DAY...WITH GENERAL MODEL CONSENSUS NOT SHOWING THE RIDGE BUILDING BACK IN UNTIL TUESDAY. EVEN THEN WE WILL SEE A GRADUAL MOISTENING UP AND THIS LOOKS TO BE CONFINED TO MAINLY MOHAVE COUNTY. AS WE APPROACH WEDNESDAY THE WESTERN RIDGE LOOKS TO AMPLIFY GREATLY IN RESPONSE TO DEEP TROUGHING IN THE EAST. THIS SHOULD HELP TO GRADUALLY TURN THE UPPER FLOW ACROSS OUR AREA BACK TO MORE OF A SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST DIRECTION ALLOWING MONSOONAL MOISTURE TO WORK BACK NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. HOWEVER...JUST HOW SOON THIS EXACTLY OCCURS AND FAR NORTH IT WORKS IS A TOUGH CALL AT THIS POINT. UNTIL ENOUGH MOISTURE RETURNS TEMPS WILL WARM UP AND HIGHS SHOULD REACH ABOUT 2 TO 4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL GIVEN THE PROGGED 500MB HEIGHTS ARE BETWEEN 588 AND 591 DM. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...THE POTENTIAL IMPACT FROM TSTMS ON THE AIRPORT WILL AGAIN BE THE MAIN ISSUE TODAY. WHILE WINDS OVERALL SHOULD BE SOUTHERLY...ANY OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES THAT DO DEVELOP WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR ERRATIC SHIFTS IN WIND DIRECTION AND/OR INCREASES IN SPEED. FOR NOW...PLAN TO LEAVE ANY TSTMS OUT OF THE TAF AND JUST CARRY A CB IN WITH THE FORECASTED SKY COVER FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE APPROACH CORRIDORS WILL AGAIN SEE SHOWERS AND TSTMS...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...WITH THE MORMON MESA AND PEACH SPRINGS CORRIDORS THE MOST LIKELY IMPACTED. FEW-SCT CLOUDS AT/ABOVE 12K FEET TODAY INTO TONIGHT. TSTMS THAT DO DEVELOP SHOULD WIND DOWN BETWEEN 3Z AND 6Z FRI...AND DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT WITH LIGHT DIURNAL WINDS. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...ANOTHER DAY WITH TSTMS BEING THE PRIMARY IMPACT ACROSS THE AREA. SHOULD SEE THE BEST CHANCES FOR TSTMS AND BEST COVERAGE ACROSS LINCOLN...CLARK...MOHAVE AND EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES. THE MAIN ISSUES WITH STORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS DROPPING VSBY TO MVFR LEVELS AND LOWERING CIGS TO AROUND 060K FEET AS WELL AS ERRATIC WIND SHIFTS AND/OR INCREASES IN SPEEDS DUE TO TSTM OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. TYPICAL AFTERNOON/EVENING GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 20 KTS EXPECTED AROUND KDRA AND IN THE OWENS VALLEY. OTHERWISE GENERALLY FEW-SCT CLOUDS AOA 12K FEET TODAY INTO TONIGHT. TSTMS SHOULD WIND DOWN BETWEEN 3Z AND 6Z FRI...AND GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH TYPICAL DIURNAL WINDS. && .CLIMATE...LATE YESTERDAY EVENING AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY MOVED SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY AND COOLER AIR BEHIND THIS DROPPED THE TEMPERATURE AT MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO 78 DEGREES. THIS ENDED THE RUN OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 80 DEGREES OR BETTER AT MCCARRAN AT 15 DAYS...MAKING IT THE 4TH LONGEST SUCH STRETCH ON RECORD FOR LAS VEGAS SINCE 1937. THE LAST TIME THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT MCCARRAN DROPPED BELOW 80 DEGREES WAS BACK ON JULY 21ST WHEN IT REACHED 78 DEGREES. IN ADDITION...A SHOWER DROPPED 0.01 INCH AT MCCARRAN YESTERDAY EVENING...GIVING THE AIRPORT MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE JULY 26TH. && .VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...NONE. AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && HARRISON/SALMEN/ADAIR/STACHELSKI HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 559 AM PDT THU AUG 7 2008 AZZ001>003-036-CAZ519>527-NVZ014>022-080700- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY-NORTHWEST DESERTS- LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA-EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES- OWENS VALLEY-WHITE MOUNTAINS OF INYO COUNTY- DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK-WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT- EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT-MORONGO BASIN-CADIZ BASIN- SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY-UPPER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY- ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL NYE COUNTY-LINCOLN COUNTY- NORTHEAST CLARK COUNTY-WESTERN CLARK AND SOUTHERN NYE COUNTY- SHEEP RANGE-SPRING MOUNTAINS-LAS VEGAS VALLEY- SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY- 559 AM PDT THU AUG 7 2008 /559 AM MST THU AUG 7 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED OVER GENERALLY THE SAME AREA AS WEDNESDAY...MAINLY SOUTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE REST OF THE REGION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE DIMINISHES FROM WEST TO EAST FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS DRIER SOUTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CONFINED TO NORTHWEST ARIZONA SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:09 UTC.
3 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
In the town of Mountain Springs, three feet of water flooded one business, one house was flooded, and a road was damaged. In addition, Highway 160 was closed at Highway 159 due to water, mud and a boulder on the road.
Flash flooding affected much of East Las Vegas and the Green Valley section of Henderson. At least five swift water rescues occurred, and many roads were covered by floodwaters which ranged up to two feet deep. At least one building - a convenience store - was also flooded. Two gages in the Green Valley section of Henderson measured between 1.10 and 1.30 inches of rain in 30 minutes.
A mother and her 4-year old son were injured by a lightning strike in front of their home. The boy was knocked unconscious, and the mother was temporarily paralyzed on one side of her body. Both have fully recovered.
Several large trees were blown down in the Green Valley section of Henderson. In addition, many smaller tree limbs were broken off, and pea size hail fell.
Three inches of water flooded a resort building. The water receded quickly.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, August 2008
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: 115017, 115021, 115025, 115022, 115029.