Monsoon moisture fueled several rounds of thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert, with the greatest coverage of storms on the 26th and 27th. Several storms 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.
Monsoon moisture fueled several rounds of thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert, with the greatest coverage of storms on the 26th and 27th. Several storms 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 25, 8:02 AM PST, 5 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 902 AM PDT WED AUG 25 2010 .SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION WILL LEAD TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THURSDAY. MONSOON MOISTURE WILL INCREASE TODAY LEADING TO A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SAN BERNARDINO AND MOHAVE COUNTIES. ADDITIONAL MONSOONAL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY WITH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SPREADING ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE WEST COAST FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WITH AN INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL PUSH MOISTURE INTO MAINLY MOHAVE COUNTY WITH DRY CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH A COOLING TREND CAN BE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. && .UPDATE...LATEST MODEL DATA SUPPORTS CURRENT FORECAST OF THUNDERSTORM CHANCES MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF LAS VEGAS AND UP INTO THE SIERRA. NO UPDATES ANTICIPATED THIS MORNING. -HARRISON && .PREV DISCUSSION... 410 AM PDT WED AUG 25 2010 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER FAR SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST ARIZONA EARLY THIS MORNING. THE 00Z AND 06Z NAM DEPICTED QPF AND A WEAK IMPULSE ALOFT IN THIS AREA AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS A HANDLE ON IT. A WEAK OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM CONVECTION TUESDAY EVENING OVER ARIZONA COULD BE SEEN ON SATELLITE AND RADAR LOOPS PUSHING UP THROUGH CLARK AND EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES BETWEEN 08Z AND 10Z. PWAT VALUES UP TO AN INCH HAVE PUSHED INTO CLARK AND EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES AND WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY INCREASE TODAY AND ESPECIALLY THURSDAY AS LOW AND MID LEVEL FLOW TURNS MORE EAST-SOUTHEAST. THE NAM SOLUTIONS SHOWS A MODEST INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ALONG WITH SOME MID LEVEL CONVERGENCE IN NORTHEAST FLOW OVER CLARK AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON. WE SHOULD SEE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE AREA AND EVEN UP INTO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA THIS AFTERNOON. THURSDAY STILL LOOKS FAVORABLE FOR 20-40 POPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA AS A WEAK DEFORMATION ZONE SETS UP OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA AND SURROUNDING AREAS BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE CENTERS OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND OFF THE NORTHERN BAJA COAST. IN ADDITION...THE 400-200MB CIRCULATION NEAR THE BAJA SPUR IS STILL FORECAST TO COME ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BRUSH SOUTHERN NEVADA LATE THURSDAY. SOUTHWEST FLOW THEN INCREASES FRIDAY AS A BROAD PACIFIC TROUGH DROPS INTO THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL BEGIN TO PUSH MOISTURE OUT SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST NEVADA BUT WILL PROBABLY INCREASE VERTICAL SHEAR AND SUPPORT SOME THUNDERSTORM ORGANIZATION OVER SOUTHEAST NEVADA FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL HOLD CLOSE TO VALUES OBSERVED TUESDAY THEN BEGIN TREND DOWNWARD FROM FRIDAY ON. && .LONG TERM...FOR THE PERIOD BEGINNING SATURDAY...MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT AND SHOW GOOD CONTINUITY WITH PREVIOUS RUNS...INDICATING AN ANOMALOUSLY DEEP TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE WESTERN COAST THIS WEEKEND. THE TROUGH AXIS WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE FORECAST AREA BY MONDAY MORNING...AND IS PROGGED TO BE EAST OF THE AREA BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. ON SATURDAY...THE MAIN IMPACT OF THIS FEATURE WILL BE ON SURFACE WINDS...WITH THE 700MB THERMAL GRADIENT BETWEEN MEDFORD AND VEGAS AROUND 14C AND 700MB WINDS OF 40KTS ON AVERAGE...SATURDAY WILL BE BREEZY TO WINDY AREAWIDE. THE LARGE INCREASE IN THE DRY SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL REALLY SCOUR OUT ANY MOISTURE...AND HAVE THUNDERSTORMS FORECAST ONLY ACROSS EASTERN MOHAVE ON SATURDAY/SUNDAY. WINDS WILL BE STRONG ON SUNDAY AS WELL...BUT NOT TO THE SAME MAGNITUDE AS EXPECTED SATURDAY. HEIGHTS REALLY DROP LATE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...AND WITH THAT WILL COME A CHANCE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AS THE COLD AIR ALOFT MOVES IN. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO DROP...AND WITH STANDARD DEVIATIONS RUNNING ABOUT 3 DEVIATIONS BELOW NORMAL ON AVERAGE...IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THE LATEST MODELS GUIDANCE IS SHOWING SURFACE TEMPS ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY. UPPER RIDGING WILL BEGIN TO BUILD BACK IN TUESDAY AND RESULT IN TEMPS TRENDING BACK TO NEAR NORMAL WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS EXPECTED BY NEXT WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THE TERMINAL TODAY...WITH RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS AND MINIMAL CLOUD COVER EXPECTED. ISOLATED TSRA POSSIBLE WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE PEACH SPRINGS AND DAGGETT APPROACH CORRIDORS. TSRA COVERAGE WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ON THURSDAY WITH TSRA POSSIBLE IN ALL OF THE APPROACH CORRIDORS AS WELL AS IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...ISOLATED TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MOHAVE AND SOUTHERN CLARK...AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TSRA WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ON THURSDAY WITH ACTIVITY POSSIBLE AREA-WIDE. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR ANY TSRA WITH LOWER CIGS AND VSBY UNDER HEAVIER ACTIVITY. && .FIRE WEATHER...SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL INCREASE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS THE LONGWAVE TROUGH DEEPENS ALONG THE COAST. THIS FLOW WILL PUSH MOISTURE BACK TO THE EAST WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE LIKELY DROPPING BELOW 15 PERCENT BOTH DAY ACROSS SOUTHWEST NEVADA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. WINDS WILL BE INCREASING FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH AREAS OF GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH. WINDS WILL INCREASE EVEN MORE SATURDAY WITH WIDESPREAD WIND GUSTS IN THE 35 TO 40 MPH RANGE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NEVADA AND ARIZONA. IF THE CURRENT MODEL TRENDS CONTINUE FIRE WEATHER WATCHES AND RED FLAG WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR SOME ZONES. && .CLIMATE...SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN 124 DAYS AT MCCARRAN AIRPORT IN WHICH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION HAS NOT OCCURRED. THIS NOW RANKS AS THE 12TH LONGEST SUCH STRETCH EVER ON RECORD. IF WE MANAGE TO GET THROUGH TODAY WITHOUT ANY MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION AT MCCARRAN WE WILL HAVE TIED FOR THE TENTH LONGEST SUCH STRETCH AT 125 DAYS. THE RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION AT THE OFFICIAL LAS VEGAS CLIMATE STATION IS 150 DAYS STARTING ON FEBRUARY 22ND 1959. && .VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...NONE. AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && ADAIR/KENNEDY HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 117 PM PDT WED AUG 25 2010 AZZ001>003-036-CAZ519>527-NVZ014>022-260700- 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- 117 PM PDT WED AUG 25 2010 /117 PM MST WED AUG 25 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY. HOWEVER... ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE FORECAST AREA GENERALLY SOUTH OF I-15. THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND THE SPRING MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA WILL ALSO SEE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS INCREASING MOISTURE COMBINES WITH A DISTURBANCE MOVING OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY WHICH WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NYE COUNTIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1251 PM PDT WED AUG 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM HAIL 3 N WIKIEUP 34.75N 113.62W
08/24/2010 E0.88 INCH MOHAVE AZ PUBLIC
0315 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 N WIKIEUP 34.74N 113.62W
08/24/2010 MOHAVE AZ NWS STORM SURVEY
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE TRAVELED TO WIKIEUP
TO INSPECT THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE AND FOUND A SHED BLOWN
OVER AND A ONE FOOT DIAMETER TREE DOWNED BY THUNDERSTORM
WINDS.
0315 PM NON-TSTM WND GST WIKIEUP 34.70N 113.62W
08/24/2010 E70.00 MPH MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
ADOT WORKERS ESTIMATED 60 TO 70 MPH WIND GUSTS FROM A
THUNDERSTORM IN WIKIEUP.
0315 PM TSTM WND DMG WIKIEUP 34.70N 113.62W
08/24/2010 MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE KNOCKED DOWN BY
THUNDERSTORM WINDS IN WIKIEUP. HIGHWAY 93 WAS CLOSED AS A
RESULT.
&&
DELAYED REPORTS FROM A THUNDERSTORM THAT MOVED WESTWARD TUESDAY
AFTERNOON NEAR WIKIEUP.
STACHELSKIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
1255 PM PDT WED AUG 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM HAIL 3 N WIKIEUP 34.75N 113.62W
08/24/2010 E0.88 INCH MOHAVE AZ PUBLIC
0315 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 N WIKIEUP 34.74N 113.62W
08/24/2010 MOHAVE AZ NWS STORM SURVEY
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE TRAVELED TO WIKIEUP
TO INSPECT THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE AND FOUND A SHED BLOWN
OVER AND A ONE FOOT DIAMETER TREE DOWNED BY THUNDERSTORM
WINDS.
0315 PM TSTM WND DMG WIKIEUP 34.70N 113.62W
08/24/2010 MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE KNOCKED DOWN BY
THUNDERSTORM WINDS IN WIKIEUP. HIGHWAY 93 WAS CLOSED AS A
RESULT.
0315 PM TSTM WND GST WIKIEUP 34.70N 113.62W
08/24/2010 E70.00 MPH MOHAVE AZ DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
ADOT WORKERS ESTIMATED 60 TO 70 MPH WIND GUSTS FROM A
THUNDERSTORM IN WIKIEUP.
&&
DELAYED REPORTS FROM A THUNDERSTORM THAT MOVED WESTWARD TUESDAY
AFTERNOON NEAR WIKIEUP.
STACHELSKIThe Las Vegas radar (KESX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:38 UTC.
8 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cima Road was flooded and impassable.
Spotters reported cars stuck in 8-12 inches of flowing water on Highway 62 at Hilton Ave., and large rocks washed onto the highway at Warren Vista.
Six inches of water flowed across Highway 190.
Three to four feet of mud flowed out of the Clover Fire (2008) burn area across Highway 395 near Dunmovin, stranding numerous vehicles and washing one big rig off the road. The highway fully reopened the next morning.
Water and debris flowed over Badwater Road south of Badwater.
Water and debris flowed over several roads in the eastern part of Barstow.
Lightning struck a house.
Highway 190 was covered with water and debris.
This gust was associated with an outflow boundary which had moved well away from the parent thunderstorm.
Highway 95 was washed out.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2010
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: 250674, 250675, 250698, 250699, 250700, 250701, 250703, 250704, 250705, 250809.