Another Pacific storm system brought strong winds to the Mojave Desert.
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.
Another Pacific storm system brought strong winds 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 Nov 15, 7:01 PM PST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 701 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2015 .SYNOPSIS...A STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE REGION WILL ALLOW FOR GUSTY WINDS AHEAD AND BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY. MUCH COLDER AIR ALONG WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BE SEEN THROUGH MID DAY MONDAY BEFORE DRIER AIR WORKS INTO THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP ABOUT 15 TO 20 DEGREES ON MONDAY FOLLOWED BY A SLOW MODERATING TREND DURING THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .UPDATE...WATER VAPOR AND MESOANALYSIS DATA SHOWS WHAT IS A SMALL MID/UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER NORTHWESTERN CLARK COUNTY THIS EVENING WITH A COMMA SHAPED SIGNATURE NOTED ON IMAGERY. THERE IS A WELL DEFINED BAND OF SHOWERS WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS THAT WAS PUSHING EAST ACROSS EASTERN CLARK COUNTY INTO MOHAVE COUNTY AND POPS WERE INCREASED FOR THE REST OF THIS EVENING TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS BAND AS WELL AS ADDING IN THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FORECAST. BEHIND THIS, THERE IS A DEFINED BACK EDGE TO THE PRECIPITATION BUT ADDITIONAL BATCHES OF SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST INTO WESTERN PARTS OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SO POPS WERE TWEAKED UP A BIT THERE. ONE THING THE SHOWERS HAVE DONE IS MOISTENED UP THE ATMOSPHERE CONSIDERABLY FROM THE TOP DOWN. DEWPOINTS ARE UP INTO THE 40S IN LAS VEGAS WHICH IS A BIG BUST ON THE END OF GUIDANCE AND WHAT WE HAD IN THE FORECAST SO THESE WERE TWEAKED. THIS CREATES TWO ISSUES. ONE IS THAT WINDS ARE NOT REALLY GUSTING AS WE HAVE A LOT LESS DRY AIR AND THERMAL CONTRAST TO WORK WITH AND WIND SPEEDS WERE LOWERED ACROSS ALL AREAS THIS EVENING AND FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT. THE ADVISORIES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AS WE WILL STILL GET THE NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. HOWEVER, AHEAD OF THE FRONT MY THOUGHT IS THAT ADVISORY WINDS WILL BE LOCALIZED OUTSIDE OF THE OWENS VALLEY AND NORTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY. THE AMOUNT OF BLOWING DUST WAS ALSO REMOVED FROM MOST AREAS GIVEN THE LACK OF WIND. THE SECOND CONCERN WITH THE EXTRA MOISTURE IS SNOW LEVELS. UNLESS WE DRY OUT MORE, IT WILL BE TOUGHER TO GET SNOW DOWN FURTHER EVEN WHEN WE WET BULB WITH DEWPOINTS INITIALLY WELL ABOVE 32 DEGREES. HOWEVER, THE COLDER NATURE OF THE AIR MASS WILL DROP TEMPS SHARPLY BEHIND THE FRONT. ON THE OTHER HAND, AT THAT POINT WE MAY SEE TEMPS DROP CLOSER TO DEWPOINTS AND AS THESE PLUNGE THROUGH THE 30S PRECIP COULD HAVE LESS OF A DRY LOW-LEVEL TO OVERCOME WHICH WOULD BETTER RESULT IN SOMETHING REACHING THE GROUND. THE LATEST GRIDS AND TEXT PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN SENT. ANOTHER UPDATE WILL FOLLOW LATER THIS EVENING IF NEED BE. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... ISSUED AT 315 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2015 .SHORT TERM...THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. UPPER LOW DIVING DOWN THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE SOUTH AND EAST OVERNIGHT. SCATTERED MAINLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION HAS BEGUN TO SPREAD ACROSS SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY WHICH IS EXPECTED TO HOLD TOGETHER AS IT CONTINUES TO PUSH EAST. THE LATEST HRRR AND LOCAL HIRES MODELS SHOW THIS PRECIPITATION TO REACH SOUTHERN NEVADA EARLY EVENING AND THEN INTO MOHAVE COUNTY BY LATE EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION THAT DOES FALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT...BUT WITH POCKETS OF MODERATE RAIN AT TIMES. SNOW LEVELS WITH THIS BAND ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 6000 FEET...BUT AS IT REACHES MOHAVE COUNTY THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH COLDER AIR FILTERING IN THAT SNOW LEVELS COULD DROP TO AROUND 5000 FEET BY LATE EVENING. WITH THE EARLIER TIMING IN PRECIPITATION DID GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THE START TIME OF THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MOHAVE COUNTY FROM 3AM TO 10PM THIS EVENING. STILL THINK THAT SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN ABOVE MOST OF THE CRITICAL TRAVEL AREAS...BUT SOME OF THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS COULD SEE EARLIER ACCUMULATING SNOW. WINDS HAVE BEEN INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OVER INYO AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES WITH A FEW LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING WINDS ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS. SO FAR WINDS ACROSS CENTRAL NYE...EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO AND CLARK COUNTIES HAVE BEEN A LITTLE SLOWER TO MATERIALIZE...BUT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS ARE INCREASING AND DO EXPECTED WINDS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THE FRONT IS FORECAST IS MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN NEVADA BETWEEN 10-12Z MONDAY MORNING WITH MUCH COLDER AIR ADVECTING INTO THE AREA. THIS WILL ALSO DRAMATICALLY DROP SNOW LEVELS ACROSS THE AREA. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE OUT OF THE AREA BEFORE THE MUCH COLDER AIR ARRIVES...EXCEPT FOR MOHAVE COUNTY WHERE SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE DOWN TO 3000 FEET BY MID MORNING. THE BEST AREAS OF SEEING ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE ACROSS THE GRAND CANYON PARASHANT NATIONAL MONUMENT WHERE AMOUNTS COULD REACH 6 INCHES. 2-3 INCHES OVER COLORADO CITY AND PIPE SPRINGS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THERE IS A CONCERN FOR SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THE VIRGIN RIVER GORGE ESPECIALLY IF PRECIPITATION FALLS AT A HEAVY ENOUGH RATE. AREAS TO THE WEST SUCH AS CLARK...SOUTHERN NYE...AND EASTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES COULD SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS/FLURRIES DOWN TO 2000- 2500 FEET OR SO ESPECIALLY AS THE LOW CENTER MOVES OVERHEAD AND THE ATMOSPHERE IS A BIT MORE DYNAMIC. THERE COULD BE SOME CONCERNS FOR AREAS SUCH AS MOUNTAIN PASS ON I-15 AND MOUNTAIN SPRINGS SUMMIT BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND PAHRUMP...BUT IF THERE ARE ANY ACCUMULATIONS AT THIS TIME THEY LOOK TO BE VERY LIGHT. TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL COOL SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND THE FRONT WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING ABOUT 15-20 DEGREES FROM SUNDAYS HIGHS. THIS COMBINED WITH STRONG GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL MAKE THINGS FEEL RATHER WINTERLIKE ACROSS THE AREA. THE NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO REACH ADVISORY LEVELS OVER MOST AREAS...BUT SOME ISOLATED LOCATIONS ACROSS ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL NYE COUNTIES COULD SEE WARNING LEVEL WINDS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. LATEST OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE GUSTY NORTH WINDS DECREASING THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY, WHERE 20-30 MPH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TAKES CONTROL WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, PROVIDING MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS AND LIGHTER NORTHERLY BREEZES. A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH MAY ENHANCE THOSE NORTHERLY BREEZES JUST A BIT FOR FRIDAY, BUT NOTHING TOO STRONG. MODELS CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON THE OVERALL PATTERN FOR THE WEEKEND. GENERALLY THERE IS AGREEMENT THAT A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL SWING THROUGH THE WESTERN STATES AT SOME POINT, YET TIMING AND LOCATION ARE WAY OFF. EITHER WAY, IT LOOKS LIKE A DRY WEEKEND FOR NOW. AS FOR TEMPERATURES, TUESDAY AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL GENERALLY RUN 5 TO 8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL, BUT WILL INCREASE AND BE 5-6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, PUSHING 70 IN THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY. THEN PERHAPS A SLIGHT COOL DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...STRONG SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS HAVE BEGUN AT THE TERMINAL AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING. GENERALLY EXPECT SPEEDS 10-20 KTS WITH GUSTS 20-30 KTS BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. TIMING OF FRONTAL PASSAGE STILL LOOKS TO BE AROUND 12Z WITH VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OCCURRING THEREAFTER. SPEEDS 20-30 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 40 KTS ARE LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE DAY MONDAY. EXPECT LOWERING CIGS TONIGHT COINCIDING WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. CIGS MAY FALL TO 5K FT MONDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY WITH ANY PASSING SHOWERS THAT OCCUR. CIGS WILL RAPIDLY IMPROVE MONDAY AFTERNOON. REGARDING PRECIP...LOOKS LIKE BEST CHANCES EXIST AROUND 3Z AND AGAIN COINCIDING WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE AROUND 12Z. PRECIP IS EXPECTED TO BE SPOTTY...BRIEF...AND ALL LIQUID AT THE AIRPORT. PIREPS THIS AFTERNOON INDICATING MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE DOWNSTREAM OF HIGHER TERRAIN AND EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS ARE LIKELY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...STRONG SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS HAVE BEGUN ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS 15-30 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 40 KTS EXPECTED THIS EVENING WITH A SWITCH TO NORTHWEST WINDS AFTER A COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. WINDS WILL BE VERY STRONG TOMORROW WITH SPEEDS 25-35 KTS AND GUSTS UP TO 45 KTS...ESPECIALLY FOR WIND-PRONE KDAG AND KIFP. BLDU IS POSSIBLE AT KDAG OVERNIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW...WITH REDUCED VSBY POSSIBLE. EXPECT SHOWERS AT KDAG EARLY THIS EVENING...RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS NEAR KBIH OVERNIGHT...AND SPOTTY SHOWERS FOR THE REMAINING TERMINALS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. CIGS WILL LOWER TO 5-10K FT COINCIDING WITH COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND/OR SHOWERS...THEN IMPROVE RAPIDLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE HAS BEEN REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST TODAY AND IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS ARE ALSO ANTICIPATED THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. AREAS OF BLDU ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL...ESPECIALLY DOWNSTREAM OF DRY LAKE BEDS AND IN OPEN TERRAIN. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS SUNDAY AND MONDAY ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. && UPDATE...STACHELSKI SHORT TERM...GORELOW LONG TERM...PADDOCK AVIATION...SHAFER FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
721 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 PM SNOW 1 WNW ASPENDELL 37.24N 118.60W
11/15/2015 E2.0 INCH INYO CA TRAINED SPOTTER
A SPOTTER ESTIMATED 2 INCHES OF SNOW FELL SINCE 1 PM
TODAY IN ASPENDELL AT 8500 FEET. ROADS ARE COATED WITH
SNOW.
&&
STACHELSKIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
726 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0722 PM SNOW 2 SW MT. CHARLESTON 36.26N 115.64W
11/15/2015 M1.0 INCH CLARK NV CO-OP OBSERVER
MT CHARLESTON NDF STATION IN KYLE CANYON MEASURED 1 INCH
OF SNOW SINCE 415 PM AT 7450 FEET.
&&
STACHELSKIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
812 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE YUCCA FLAT (NTS SR 36.94N 116.04W
11/15/2015 M59.00 MPH NYE NV MESONET
DECON UNDERGROUND MESONET SITE MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST
OF 59 MPH FROM THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT AN ELEVATION OF 3916
FEET.
0340 PM TSTM WND GST SIERRA ROTORS 10 36.77N 118.16W
11/15/2015 M51.00 MPH INYO CA MESONET
SIERRA ROTORS SISTE NUMBER 10 MEASURED A 51 MPH GUST AT
AN ELEVATION OF 3868 FEET.
0642 PM NON-TSTM WND GST OAK CREEK RAWS 36.84N 118.26W
11/15/2015 M54.00 MPH INYO CA MESONET
OAK CREEK RAWS MEASURED A 54 MPH WIND GUST FROM THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AT AN ELEVATION OF 4900 FEET.
&&
STACHELSKIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV
813 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE YUCCA FLAT (NTS SR 36.94N 116.04W
11/15/2015 M59.00 MPH NYE NV MESONET
DECON UNDERGROUND MESONET SITE MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST
OF 59 MPH FROM THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT AN ELEVATION OF 3916
FEET.
0340 PM NON-TSTM WND GST SIERRA ROTORS 10 36.77N 118.16W
11/15/2015 E51.00 MPH INYO CA MESONET
SIERRA ROTORS SISTE NUMBER 10 MEASURED A 51 MPH GUST AT
AN ELEVATION OF 3868 FEET.
0642 PM NON-TSTM WND GST OAK CREEK RAWS 36.84N 118.26W
11/15/2015 M54.00 MPH INYO CA MESONET
OAK CREEK RAWS MEASURED A 54 MPH WIND GUST FROM THE
WEST-NORTHWEST AT AN ELEVATION OF 4900 FEET.
&&
STACHELSKIThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds blew over a big rig on Highway 395 11 miles S of Olancha.
This gust occurred at Bicycle Lake.
High winds 2 miles WSW of Landers blew over several storage sheds and damaged an air conditioning unit. A spotter estimated the winds to be 60-70 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2015
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: 602978, 602979, 602980.