Another very strong upper level low pressure system brought more severe thunderstorms and flash flooding to the Mojave Desert.
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 very strong upper level low pressure system brought more severe thunderstorms and flash flooding to the Mojave Desert.
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 Oct 19, 8:10 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 910 PM PDT TUE OCT 19 2010 .SYNOPSIS...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY MOVE INLAND ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST THROUGH THURSDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WITH MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION OCCURRING ON WEDNESDAY. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL DECREASE THURSDAY AS THE LOW MOVES INTO EASTERN ARIZONA. ANOTHER STORM MOVING IN FROM THE WEST WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY. && .UPDATE...SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FORM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA AND AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO PUSH EAST TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. QUICK GLANCE AT THE 00Z NAM SHOWS THAT THE SHORT TERM FORECAST APPEARS TO BE ON TRACK AND DO NOT PLAN ANY UPDATES THIS EVENING. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE ERRATIC WINDS AT MCCARRAN THROUGH 06Z BEFORE BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THERE IS A CHANCE PRECIP AT OR NEAR THE AIRPORT WITH SMALL HAIL POSSIBLE WITH THE MAIN ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT BEING OVER THE DAGGETT AND BEATTY CORRIDORS. PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH OVERNIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT RAIN AND LOWER CEILINGS POSSIBLE. PRECIP CHANCES WILL DECREASE FROM THE WEST THURSDAY...BUT LINGER IN THE PEACH SPRINGS AND MORMON MESA CORRIDORS THROUGH THE DAY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE MOJAVE DESERT OVERNIGHT. RAIN WILL INCREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH OVERNIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY...AFFECTING THE ENTIRE AREA...THEN DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT WINDS ARE EXPECTED EXCEPT LOCALLY ERRATIC AND GUSTY NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. && .SHORT TERM...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS MAINLY BEEN LIMITED TO SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON BUT AS OF 2 PM CUMULUS DEVELOPMENT WAS INCREASING ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA WITH SOME SHOWERS POPPING UP OVER MOHAVE COUNTY. MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA AS THE CLOSED LOW MOVES INTO NORTHERN BAJA TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD OVERNIGHT ROUGHLY FROM LAS VEGAS SOUTHWARD WITH POPS DECREASING TO THE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. MOISTURE WILL ROTATE EVEN FARTHER NORTH WEDNESDAY AS THE LOW MOVES VERY SLOWLY TO NEAR YUMA. SHOWERS WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OVER THE FORECAST AREA TAPERING TO SLIGHT CHANCE ACROSS THE FAR NORTH. WEAK TO MAYBE MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL LEAD TO GENERALLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. SOME NORTHWARD ROTATING BANDS OF HEAVY TO MODERATE RAIN ARE LIKELY LATER TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY WHERE A HALF INCH TO ONE INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE. WHILE THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAIN...IT WILL FALL OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW HOURS SO ANY FLOODING WHICH OCCURS WOULD MAINLY BE MINOR NUISANCE TYPE FLOODING SO A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WAS NOT ISSUED. THE LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH SHORTWAVE RIDGING FOLLOWING BEHIND THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WHILE MUCH OF THE DYNAMIC FORCING WILL BE OUT OF THE AREA...MOISTURE WILL NOT GET FLUSHED OUT WELL AND SOME LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE. WHILE THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK OF THE CLOSED LOW THROUGH THURSDAY...THEY DIVERGE BY FRIDAY AND MUCH UNCERTAINTY EXISTS. OVERALL WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SOME SORT OF OPEN WAVE TO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST KEEPING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THIS WAVE REMAIN IN QUESTION. TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY WILL BE MUCH BELOW NORMAL UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE CLOSED LOW WITH JUST LIMITED WARMING THURSDAY AND FRIDAY DUE TO THE LINGERING MOISTURE. .LONG TERM...MODELS HAVE THEIR DIFFERENCES IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...HOWEVER...THERE SEEMS TO BE BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE OVERALL PATTERN EVOLUTION...WHICH ADDS A LITTLE CONFIDENCE. SATURDAY...WEST FLOW TRANSITIONS TO NORTHWEST AS TROUGHING DEVELOPS DOWNSTREAM OVER THE ROCKIES AND RIDGING BUILDS ALONG 30N IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THIS SHOULD BRING A MOSTLY DRY DAY WITH LOTS OF HIGH CLOUDS SPILLING IN. A VERY DIRTY SHORTWAVE RIDGE BRIEFLY HOLDS SWAY ON SUNDAY BEFORE A POWERFUL 150+ KNOT JET STREAM SLAMS INTO THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL BRING INCREASING WINDS MONDAY...ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THERE WILL ALSO BE PLENTY OF HIGH CLOUDS AND A CHANCE OF PRECIP IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN. MODEL DISPERSION INCREASES TUESDAY...WITH SOME SHOWING FAST WEST NORTHWEST FLOW STAYING IN PLACE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND OTHERS SHOWING A FLAT RIDGE STARTING TO BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTH. EITHER SOLUTION WOULD BE MOSTLY DRY...BUT THE LATTER WOULD RESULT IN FEWER CLOUDS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES. WENT WITH A BLEND FOR NOW...AS THINGS ARE LIKELY TO CHANGE QUITE A BIT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN IN SUCH A FAST MOVING PATTERN. && .VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...NONE. AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && JENSEN/HARRISON/MORGAN HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 440 AM PDT TUE OCT 19 2010 CAZ523>526-200700- WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT-EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT-MORONGO BASIN- CADIZ BASIN- 440 AM PDT TUE OCT 19 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TODAY...THEN INCREASE INTO COVERAGE AND INTENSITY TONIGHT. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO RUNOFF PROBLEMS IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES...STREETS...INTERSECTIONS OR LOW LYING AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO RUNOFF PROBLEMS IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES...STREETS...INTERSECTIONS OR LOW LYING AREAS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .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>003-036-CAZ519>522-527-NVZ016>022-200700- 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-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY- UPPER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY-NORTHEAST CLARK COUNTY- WESTERN CLARK AND SOUTHERN NYE COUNTY-SHEEP RANGE- SPRING MOUNTAINS-LAS VEGAS VALLEY-SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY- 440 AM PDT TUE OCT 19 2010 /440 AM MST TUE OCT 19 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON...THEN BEGIN TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE TONIGHT. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO RUNOFF PROBLEMS IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES...STREETS...INTERSECTIONS OR LOW LYING AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR WHICH COULD LEAD TO RUNOFF PROBLEMS IN NORMALLY DRY WASHES...STREETS...INTERSECTIONS OR LOW LYING AREAS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .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. NVZ014-015-200700- ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL NYE COUNTY-LINCOLN COUNTY- 440 AM PDT TUE OCT 19 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
712 PM PDT TUE OCT 19 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM HAIL 1 W LENWOOD 34.89N 117.12W
10/19/2010 E1.00 INCH SAN BERNARDINO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED 1 INCH HAIL WITH SMALLER HAIL
ACCUMULATING IN THE STREETS. HAIL LASTED FROM 440 TO 450
PM.
0440 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 W LENWOOD 34.89N 117.12W
10/19/2010 SAN BERNARDINO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
DEEP WATER FLOWING IN THE STREETS WITH LIMBS AND HAIL IN
THE FLOODWATERS. FLOODING STARTED AT AROUND 440 PM AND
WAS ONGOING AT 450 PM.
&&
JGGThe Las Vegas radar (KESX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:38 UTC.
3 flash flood, 2 lightning, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck and set afire several trees in the Las Vegas Valley, along with a vacant house near the intersection of Rancho and Jones. The house sustained minor damage.
Lightning struck an apartment building, causing minor damage.
One foot of water was flowing through the intersection of Owens Ave. and Christy Ln.
Several intersections in the Las Vegas Valley collected several inches of standing water. Several inches of water also flowed through the lowest level of the Imperial Palace parking garage, which stands in the Flamingo Wash.
A car and trailer were floated down a wash, and debris was washed onto Northshore Rd.
Water and debris flowed down a wash into the Callville Bay area.
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, October 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: 262441, 262443, 262445, 262448, 262449, 262451.