A strong push of monsoon moisture brought thunderstorms to much of the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin. 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.
A strong push of monsoon moisture brought thunderstorms to much of the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin. 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 Jul 3, 2:04 PM PST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 304 PM PDT SUN JUL 3 2011 .SYNOPSIS...MONSOON MOISTURE WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF THE MOJAVE DESERT AND SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN THROUGH THE WEEK...WITH THE BEST CHANCES OVER MOHAVE COUNTY IN THE AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. HUMIDITY WILL MAKE IT FEEL QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER DESERTS. && .SHORT TERM...MONSOON SEASON WENT FROM ZERO TO FULL SWING IN 24 HOURS. SATELLITE SHOWED TWO DISTINCT AREAS OF CLOUDINESS. THE FIRST WAS A LARGE ARC OF MID LEVEL CLOUDS WITH ASSOCIATED VIRGA AND SPRINKLES...NEARLY BISECTING THE CWA FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. YESTERDAY...DRY THUNDERSTORMS WERE A CONCERN FOR LAST NIGHT AND TODAY...BUT THIS BATCH OF CLOUDS AND VIRGA WAS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. ONLY SAW ONE LIGHTNING STRIKE IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY THIS MORNING. THE SECOND AREA OF CLOUDINESS WAS OVER MOHAVE COUNTY...WHERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD IGNITED OVER AND WEST OF THE MOGOLLON RIM. SOUTHEASTERLY STEERING FLOW SHOULD PUSH MULTIPLE WAVES OF STORMS INTO MOHAVE COUNTY THROUGH THE EVENING. ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE LOWER DESERTS OF ARIZONA...WHERE THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER WAS CONSIDERING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. IF THIS AREA FIRES UP...THE STEERING FLOW SHOULD DIRECT SOME OF THESE STORMS TOWARD OUR SOUTHEASTERN CWA TONIGHT AS WELL. NOT SURE WHETHER THE STORMS WOULD SURVIVE THE JOURNEY WITHOUT SOLAR HEATING...OR IF THEY WOULD JUST BRING ANOTHER INFLUX OF MOISTURE...WIND AND/OR DUST SIMILAR TO WHAT CAME OUT OF THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER NORTHERN SONORA LAST NIGHT. ANYWAY...GIVEN HOW MUCH THE AIRMASS HAS ALREADY MOISTENED AND WITH THE PROSPECT OF MORE...DISCARDED DRY THUNDERSTORMS ENTIRELY AND INCREASED FORECAST PRECIP AMOUNTS A LITTLE. WITH THE MOISTURE AND PLENTY OF HEAT IN PLACE...THUNDERSTORM FORECASTING BECOMES A DAY TO DAY EXERCISE IN DIAGNOSING SMALL SCALE FEATURES WHICH THE MODELS FREQUENTLY MISS. THE MOST LIKELY TRIGGER TOMORROW SHOULD BE INTERACTION OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM STORMS TODAY /AND PERHAPS TONIGHT AS WELL/ OVER ARIZONA. THESE INTERACTIONS ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE SOUTHEAST CWA...SO CARRIED HIGHER POPS THERE. TEMPERATURES WILL PROBABLY COME DOWN A DEGREE OR THREE OVERALL DUE TO INCREASED MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER...BUT POINT TEMPS WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE LOCATION AND TIMING OF THUNDERSTORMS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...SHORT TERM CONCERNS LIMITED THE TIME SPENT ON LONG TERM FORECAST PREPARATIONS. DID NOT CHANGE MUCH IN THE LONG TERM FORECAST AS THE MODELS AND FORECASTER THINKING HAVE NOT CHANGED. THE MONSOON MOISTURE SURGE OF TODAY WILL BE THE CAUSE OF MUCH OF THE EXTENDED PERIODS WEATHER. THE RIDGE AXIS AND CENTER WILL STAY ORIENTATED SUCH THAT MORE MOISTURE WILL BE ADVECTED INTO THE AREA ON TOP OF WHAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE. THIS SHOULD BE A TYPICAL PATTERN OF MAXIMUM CONVECTION ACTIVITY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENINGS. THE GREATEST MOISTURE VALUES WILL BE IN THE EASTERN 1/3 OF THE CWA... MOHAVE COUNTY AND UP THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY INTO CLARK AND LINCOLN COUNTIES. THE MOISTURE DOES GET PUSHED INTO ALL AREAS OF THE CWA THOUGH. MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE FLOODING IF THEY ARE SLOW MOVERS. SOME CHANGE IS IN SIGHT AT THE END OF THE WEEK WHERE MODELS DO EXPECT TROUGHING TO APPROACH AND BRING IN A DRIER FLOW. POP VALUES DO GET LOWERED FROM FRIDAY ONWARDS FROM THE NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. RELUCTANT TO TAKE POPS WAY DOWN OR OUT ALTOGETHER AS MODELS ARE WAY TOO QUICK IN MOVING MOISTURE OUT. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...THE DUST AND HAZE WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE ITS AFFECT ON THE VISIBILITY THROUGH THE EVENING. PRIMARY CONCERN WILL BE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. VERY LOW PROBABILITY FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT KLAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THOUGH IT CAN NOT BE RULED OUT FOR THE AREA MOUNTAINS. MONDAY WILL SEE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS....HOWEVER THE BETTER CHANCES WILL BE EAST OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY AND OVER LOCAL MOUNTAINS. THE PEACH SPRINGS CORRIDOR WILL SEE THUNDERSTORMS IN IT THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION WINDS WILL BE LIGHT FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST THROUGH MONDAY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...SUSPENDED DUST IN SOUTHERN NEVADA...EASTERN CALIFORNIA...AND ARIZONA WILL DECREASE ITS AFFECT ON THE VISIBILITY THROUGH THE EVENING AND TONIGHT. MONSOON MOISTURE HAS MOVED INTO THE REGION BRINGING WITH IT INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS. THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE IN MOHAVE COUNTY AND MOUNTAIN AREAS OF OF THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE ACTIVITY WILL BE GREATEST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENINGS WITH A LULL LATE AT NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING. THIS PATTERN SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. && .VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...NONE. AZ...NONE. CA...NONE. && MORGAN/JACQUES HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 500 AM PDT SUN JUL 3 2011 AZZ001>003-036-CAZ519>527-NVZ014>022-040700- 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- 500 AM PDT SUN JUL 3 2011 /500 AM MST SUN JUL 3 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT MOISTURE INCREASING FROM THE SOUTH WILL LEAD TO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO AND SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY TODAY...WHILE THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN NEVADA. A WEDGE OF DRY AIR NEAR THE SURFACE ACROSS NORTHERN CLARK AND LINCOLN COUNTIES WILL LEAD TO STORMS WITH LITTLE RAINFALL AND THE POTENTIAL OF DRY LIGHTNING. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL AND THE INCREASE IN MOISTURE WILL NOT MAKE IT FEEL ANY MORE COMFORTABLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MOISTURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND MOJAVE DESERT THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK LEADING TO MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IS A CONCERN. .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.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 532 PM PDT SUN JUL 3 2011 CAZ524>527-041245- EASTERN MOJAVE DESERT-MORONGO BASIN-CADIZ BASIN- THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY OF EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY- 532 PM PDT SUN JUL 3 2011 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY CALIFORNIA. THIS WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED DUE TO THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF WINDS GREATER THAN 58 MPH ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS EVENING UNTIL MIDNIGHT PDT. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS HIGH FOR THE SOUTHERN ONE QUARTER OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY...MAINLY ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 62.
The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 51 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:22 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds separated three docks at the Callville Bay marina.
Thunderstorm winds caused damage in a large area of the Las Vegas Valley. The AWOS at Henderson Executive Airport measured a gust to 62 mph. The storm also blew over several mobile homes, blew down numerous trees (one of which damaged a car), blew down several power poles and lines, causing power outages for at least 10,000 people, and destroyed at least one fireworks stand.
The same thunderstorm which caused widespread wind damage also caused serious flash flooding. One man who was rescued from a flooded wash suffered minor injuries. Several swift water rescues were needed near the intersection of Warm Springs and Pecos, and at least three feet of water covered the intersection of Warm Springs and Eastern, with several cars abandoned in the water. A spotter in Henderson measured 0.73 inch in one hour.
The peak gust of 64 mph occurred 9 miles NW of Mercury.
Mud was reported over Highway 375 17 miles NW of Rachel.
Roads leading into Bonnie Springs and Spring Mountain Ranch State Park were washed out by flooding. A co-op observer in the area reported 1.73 inches of rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, July 2011
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: 310889, 310890, 310891, 310892, 310893, 310894.