A period of enhanced westerly flow triggered sporadic downslope winds in the lee of the Spring Mountains.
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 period of enhanced westerly flow triggered sporadic downslope winds in the lee of the Spring Mountains.
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 Apr 4, 7:53 PM PST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 853 PM PDT WED APR 4 2012 .SYNOPSIS...A STORM SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL BRING BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY WITH LOCALLY STRONG GUSTS. AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES FURTHER INLAND ON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY IT WILL RESULT IN COOLER TEMPERATURES AREAWIDE AND EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW SNOW SHOWERS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN. DRY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH VARIABLE HIGH CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT TUESDAY. && .UPDATE...WINDS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THE TROUGH AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. DOWNSLOPE WINDS FORMED ALONG THE SOUTHERN SIERRA EAST SLOPES THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING...BUT AS OF 800 PM PDT...WINDS ARE SHOWING A MARKED DECREASE AND DO NOT EXPECTED ANY FURTHER STRONG GUSTS. AT THE SAME TIME...EXPECTED WINDS OVER THE WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT MANAGED TO PRODUCE A FEW GUSTS TO OVER 40 MPH...HOWEVER WIDESPREAD WINDS DID NOT MATERIALIZE AND ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED. THUS THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS AREA HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE BEST FOCUS FOR WINDS TONIGHT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE SPRING MOUNTAINS/RED ROCK CANYON AREA AND THEN ON THURSDAY ACROSS MOHAVE COUNTY. CURRENT HEADLINES FOR THESE AREAS STILL LOOK GOOD. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED CHANGES...THE OVERALL TREND OF THE SHORT TERM IS IN GOOD SHAPE AS THE SHORT WAVE TROUGH EXITS THE AREA LATE THURSDAY FOR LESS WIND AND INCREASING TEMPERATURES...AFTER FRIDAYS COOL DOWN...INTO THE WEEKEND. && .FIRE WEATHER...POOR RELATIVE HUMIDITY RECOVERIES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT...BUT OVERALL MOST AREAS SHOULD SEE RECOVERIES TO ABOVE 15 PERCENT BY MIDNIGHT. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO DECREASE SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT...BUT INCREASE AGAIN ON THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHWEST ARIZONA. DUE TO THE CONTINUED DRY AIR MASS OVER THE AREA...THURSDAYS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL ONCE AGAIN DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT ACROSS MOHAVE COUNTY AND THE COMBINATION OF WINDS...LOW HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOHAVE COUNTY THROUGH 8 PM MST THURSDAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... 325 PM PDT WED APR 4 2012 .SHORT TERM...SUNSHINE BROKE OUT BEHIND THE DEPARTING BAND OF HIGH AND MID LEVEL CLOUDS THAT WAS STILL MOVING EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. AT THE PRESENT THIS BAND EXTENDED FROM NEAR COLORADO CITY TO MORONGO VALLEY. AREAS EAST OF THIS LINE ESPECIALLY IN CENTRAL/SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY AND SOUTHEAST SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY WILL REMAIN SCT-BKN THIS EVENING WITH AREAS TO THE WEST STAYING CLEAR. HOWEVER BY LATER THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT SATELLITE IMAGERY TRENDS AND MODEL FORECAST 500-300 MB RELATIVE HUMIDITY INDICATE THAT HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS SHOULD RETURN. A SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST HAS RESULTED IN WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA SO FAR TODAY AND IT WILL REMAIN WINDY THIS EVENING AREAWIDE AS AN 80 KT+ JETSTREAK APPROACHES SOUTHERN NEVADA WHICH WILL HELP TO FURTHER ENHANCE WINDS ACROSS THE AREA AS THEY MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. THE WIND ADVISORY FOR NW SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY WILL BE KEPT UP AS THE STRONGEST WINDS HAVE YET TO DEVELOP THERE. GOOD CROSS BARRIER FLOW OVER THE SPRING MOUNTAINS IS NOTED WITH THE PROGGED JET STREAM AND THE HIGH RESOLUTION ARW AND NMM MODELS BOTH DEVELOP A CRITICAL LAYER TO THE LEE. ADDITIONALLY THE GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS DEVELOP A STRONG INVERSION NEAR RIDGETOP AROUND 850 MB NEAR 06Z THURSDAY. ALL OF THIS POINTS TO A GOOD SET UP FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS THIS EVENING AND ESPECIALLY JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE LEE OF THE SPRING MOUNTAINS. MODELS SHOW WINDS AS HIGH AS 50 KTS IN THE RED ROCK CANYON AREA BUT BELIEVE THIS IS A LITTLE HIGH AS THIS IS NOT AN IMPRESSIVELY STRONG SYSTEM. HOWEVER IT LOOKS LIKE ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM MATERIALIZING AND A WIND ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR THE SPRING MOUNTAINS INCLUDING THE RED ROCK CANYON AREA. LOCAL GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT IN THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY MAINLY IN SUMMERLIN. THESE WINDS WILL LESSEN TOWARDS DAYBREAK THURSDAY. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PICK UP AGAIN THURSDAY BY THE LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON AS THE BASE OF THE MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM MOVES OVERHEAD. AGAIN STRONG WINDS ALOFT ROUND THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND SHOULD MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. WINDS FROM LAS VEGAS WEST DO NOT LOOK AS STRONG AS TODAY BUT LOCAL GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. WINDS OVER MOHAVE COUNTY COULD BE JUST AS HIGH AS TODAY ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT FAVOR A SOUTHWEST WIND. THE ARW AND NMM BOTH DEVELOP A DOWNSLOPE WINDS THURSDAY EVENING OFF THE SPRING MOUNTAINS BUT WITH CROSS BARRIER FLOW BEING NOT AS GOOD...THIS EVENT APPEARS TO BE WEAKER AND AT BEST MAY SQUEEZE OUT GUSTS OF 35-40 MPH. HIGH TEMPS ON THURSDAY SHOULD DROP BY 10 DEGREES OR SO FROM TODAY'S VALUES ACROSS THE AREA. AS ENERGY IN THE BASE OF THE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING IT MAY HAVE JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE TO TRIGGER A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. HOWEVER DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SHOULD END ANY SHOWERS BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WEAKENING UPPER SUPPORT AND GRADIENTS WILL SHUT OFF WINDS FOR FRIDAY AREAWIDE BUT COOLING ALOFT WILL RESULT IN TEMPS DROPPING FURTHER. HIGHS ON FRIDAY ARE EXPECTED TO BE A GOOD 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL WITH THE FORECAST TILTED TOWARDS THE WARMER GFS NUMBERS. A SHORTWAVE RIDGE BUILD IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING TROUGH AXIS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND QUICKLY SHUTS OFF NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THIS SYSTEM. THIS WILL RESULT IN A WARMING TREND AS THE FLOW ALOFT TURNS TO THE SOUTHWEST FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE ONLY ISSUE WITH HOW WARM IT GETS WILL BE JUST HOW MUCH HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE MOVES IN OVERHEAD. THE SOUTHERN BRANCH OF THE JET MOVES A JET STREAK TOWARDS SOCAL BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE SAME TIME MODELS BRING IN ADDITIONAL HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY NIGHT ESPECIALLY FROM I-15 ON SOUTH. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...FOR MOST OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD THE PATTERN WILL BE A RIDGE AXIS OVER THE ROCKIES OR WESTERN HIGH PLAINS AND A TROUGH DEEPENING OFF SHORE. THIS WILL KEEP THE AREA IN SOUTHWEST FLOW THROUGH THE PERIOD. THIS WILL MAKE FOR A WARM UP TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS. ONLY "CHALLENGE" WOULD BE TEMPERATURES DUE THE POSSIBILITY OF THICK CIRRUS CLOUD COVER AMOUNTS THEN. TOWARDS LATE WEDNESDAY MODELS DO HAVE THE TROUGH APPROACH AND MAYBE PASS THROUGH THE REGION...DEPENDING ON MODEL. FOR NOW KEPT IN THE GHOST POPS UP NORTH AS A HEDGE. ALSO KEPT THE INCREASED SOUTHWEST SURFACE WINDS FOR WEDNESDAY AS THIS WILL BE A SURE THING REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE TROUGH PASSES OR IS STILL MOVING IN. MODELS DO BROADLY AGREE ON TROUGH PASSAGE AND ACTIVE WEATHER THURSDAY ON. THEY DIFFER IN TIMING AND WHETHER THERE IS A SECONDARY WAVE LATER IN THE WEEK...BUT THAT IS BEYOND THE TIME FRAME OF THIS FORECAST PERIOD. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...SOUTH TO SOUTH-SOUTHWEST GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT WITH SOME DECREASE IN SPEED THIS EVENING. THE WIND SPEEDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN LATE THURSDAY MORNING AND GUST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. VARIABLE AMOUNTS OF HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL OCCUR THROUGH THURSDAY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY WITH SOME DECREASE IN SPEEDS THIS EVENING. THE GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL OCCUR AGAIN LATE THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH AFTERNOON. VARIABLE AMOUNTS OF HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL OCCUR THROUGH THURSDAY. && .VEF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NV...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR NVZ019. AZ...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THURSDAY FOR AZZ102. CA...NONE. && UPDATE...JENSEN PREV DISCUSSION...STACHELSKI/JACQUES HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 243 PM PDT WED APR 4 2012 CAZ523-051245- WESTERN MOJAVE DESERT- 243 PM PDT WED APR 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING ACROSS NORTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY AS A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THURSDAY AS THE LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. WEST WINDS GUSTING TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .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>522-524>527-NVZ014>018-021-022-051245- 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-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-SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY- 243 PM PDT WED APR 4 2012 /243 PM MST WED APR 4 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARIZONA...CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT AS A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF INYO AND NYE COUNTIES AND MUCH OF CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES. SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING BETWEEN 35 AND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN THOSE AREAS. ACROSS MUCH OF CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES THESE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER TO CREATE CONDITIONS THAT ARE FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MOJAVE DESERT ON THURSDAY AS THE LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. GUSTS BETWEEN 35 AND 40 MPH ARE LIKELY IN MUCH OF MOHAVE COUNTY AND THE RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THERE THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. SEE THE LATEST RED FLAG WARNING STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .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. NVZ019-020-051245- SPRING MOUNTAINS-LAS VEGAS VALLEY- 243 PM PDT WED APR 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT AS A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 MPH ACROSS THE SPRING MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. LOCALLY STRONGER WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 AM THURSDAY FOR THE SPRING MOUNTAINS INCLUDING RED ROCK CANYON. ACROSS THE SPRING MOUNTAINS...ADJACENT EASTERN FOOTHILLS AND THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY THESE WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER TO CREATE CONDITIONS THAT ARE FAVORABLE FOR EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MOJAVE DESERT ON THURSDAY AS THE LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .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. STACHELSKI
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
633 PM PDT WED APR 04 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0542 PM NON-TSTM WND GST OAK CREEK RAWS 36.84N 118.26W
04/04/2012 M60 MPH INYO CA MESONET
OAK CREEK RAWS AT AN ELEVATION OF 4900 FEET.
&&
LJENSENThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
This gust occurred 1 mile ESE Red Rock Canyon.
This gust occurred in Henderson.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, April 2012
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: 364778, 364789.