A strong cold front brought isolated high north winds to south central Nevada.
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 cold front brought isolated high north winds to south central Nevada.
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 Mar 18, 2:13 PM PST, 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 313 PM PDT THU MAR 18 2010 .SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHERN NEVADA AND THE MOJAVE DESERT TONIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA. GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND LINGER THROUGH MUCH OF FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY DOWN THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY. COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY BEFORE WARMING TAKES PLACE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. && .SHORT TERM...BASED ON SATELLITE AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS COLD FRONT RUNS FROM NEAR TONOPAH TO ELY. SO FAR...PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN VERY LIGHT AND CONFINED TO CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL NEVADA. AS FRONT SLIDES SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING IT WILL ENCOUNTER DRIER AIR OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA WHICH WILL LIMIT SHOWERS MAINLY TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. DID LEAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE IN FOR LAS VEGAS BUT CONFIDENCE WANING AND WOULD EXPECT SPRINKLES AT MOST. LITTLE HAS CHANGED ON THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT WITH PASSAGE THROUGH LAS VEGAS AROUND 8 PM (+/- 1 HOUR) AND EVENTUALLY CLEARING OUR CWA BY 2 AM FRIDAY. AFTER FURTHER CONSIDERATION HAVE BUMPED UP THE START OF OUR WIND ADVISORY FOR THE LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA SOUTH TO LAKE HAVASU CITY TO RUN FROM 7 AM TO 6 PM FRIDAY. THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND SUPPORT ALOFT START WEAKENING FRIDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. RIDGE TRANSITIONS EAST ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. NEXT TROUGH BEGINS TO ENTER THE PICTURE SUNDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...A BIT OF SWINGING BACK AND FORTH BY THE EURO...BUT IT IS NOW MORE IN LINE WITH THE GFS IN HANDLING THE NEXT SYSTEM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE IDEA OF A CLOSED LOW DROPPING OVER NEVADA IS NOT THERE...THOUGHT THE GEM AND DGEX CONTINUE THIS...AND KEEPING THE NORTHERN BRANCH TROUGH FURTHER NORTH. THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE SPLIT IS STILL EXPECTED TO FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO NOT BE A FACTOR. WITH A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK MOST MOISTURE WILL STAY NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. I HAVE KEPT IN THE POPS FOR OUR NORTHERN ZONES FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS DYNAMICS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME PRECIPITATION. THE POPS MAY NEED TO BE LOWERED IF THE TRACK STAYS OR SHIFTS FURTHER NORTH. THE BIGGEST IMPACTS OF WILL BE WINDS AND TEMPERATURES TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST POST FRONTAL. DID LOWER THE SPEEDS A LITTLE AS THE TRACK IS FURTHER NORTH AND HENCE GRADIENTS ARE NOW EXPECTED TO BE LOWER. WIND ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN OUR RIVER ZONES LATE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BEHIND THE FRONT TO BELOW NORMAL LEVELS WEDNESDAY AND SHOULD REBOUND THE REST OF THE WEEK AS RIDGING BUILDS IN THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...A STRONG COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY BETWEEN 02Z-04Z THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL TURN NORTHERLY WITH WINDS 15-25KTS AND GUSTS MAY REACH 30-35KTS AT TIMES. A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE FRONT PASSES THE WINDS WILL TURN NORTHWEST BUT SHOULD STAY UNDER 10 KNOTS. LITTLE MOISTURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT...BUT A BRIEF PERIOD OF CEILINGS DOWN TO 8K FEET AND A LIGHT SHOWER MAY OCCUR DURING FRONTAL PASSAGE. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AND THROUGH FRIDAY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...A COLD FRONT IS MOVING SOUTH THROUGH NYE AND LINCOLN COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL SWEEP INTO NORTHERN ARIZONA THIS EVENING. BEHIND IT GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL OCCUR AND PERSIST THROUGH FRIDAY. THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY WILL EXPERIENCE THE STRONGEST WINDS FRIDAY WITH GUSTS TO ABOUT 45 KNOTS MOST OF THE DAY FRIDAY. SOME LIGHT LIGHT SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE FRONT IN LINCOLN AND MOHAVE COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 6 PM PDT FRIDAY FOR NVZ021. AZ...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 6 PM MST FRIDAY FOR AZZ002-036. CA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 6 PM PDT FRIDAY FOR CAZ527. && PIERCE/JACQUES HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 333 PM PDT THU MAR 18 2010 AZZ002-036-CAZ527-NVZ021-191100- LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY-LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA- SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY-UPPER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY- 333 PM PDT THU MAR 18 2010 /333 PM MST THU MAR 18 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL OCCUR ON FRIDAY. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA SOUTH TO LAKE HAVASU CITY. NORTH WINDS BETWEEN 20 AND 35 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH WILL OCCUR. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE AREA ON TUESDAY RESULTING IN LOCAL GUSTY WINDS ONCE AGAIN...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND COOL TEMPERATURES. .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. AZZ001-003-CAZ519>526-NVZ014>020-022-191100- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-NORTHWEST DESERTS-EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES- OWENS VALLEY-WHITE MOUNTAINS OF INYO COUNTY- DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK-WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT- EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT-MORONGO BASIN-CADIZ BASIN- 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- 333 PM PDT THU MAR 18 2010 /333 PM MST THU MAR 18 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER A STORM WILL RAPIDLY MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS...MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE GREAT BASIN AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA. GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL ALSO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT AS THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER NORTH BREEZES WILL BE FELT ON FRIDAY WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES AREA WIDE INTO THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE AREA ON TUESDAY RESULTING IN LOCAL GUSTY WINDS ONCE AGAIN...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND COOL TEMPERATURES. .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. PIERCE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Cloud Nine balloon attraction at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip was heavily damaged, and siding was torn off a carport near the intersection of Vegas and Lamb.
This gust occurred 45 miles east of Beatty.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, March 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: 215480, 214962.