Another Pacific storm system brought strong winds to the Mojave Desert.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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, 10:20 AM PST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 1020 AM PST SUN NOV 15 2015 .SYNOPSIS...WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD STORM SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WILL HELP TO SPREAD SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA STARTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL PLUMMET TONIGHT AND DROP TO AT LEAST 2000-3000 FEET AS THE SYSTEM PASSES ON THROUGH. WINDS WILL PICK UP FROM NORTHWEST TO NORTH LATER TONIGHT AND REMAIN GUSTY INTO MONDAY EVENING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR TO JUST BELOW NORMAL TODAY THEN FALL SHARPLY ON MONDAY. A MODERATING TREND IS EXPECTED UNDER DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .UPDATE...NO CHANGES NEEDED AT THIS TIME AS CURRENT FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE. WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA AS OF 10AM THIS MORNING...BUT THAT IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AS GRADIENTS TIGHTEN AND THE SOUTHWEST WINDS START TO INCREASE. SOME VERY LIGHT SHOWERS WERE NOTED ON RADAR MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTY...BUT LITTLE ELSE FOR PRECIPITATION IN OUR AREA. THE MAIN BAND OF MORE STEADY PRECIPITATION IS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AND WILL GRADUALLY PUSH INTO THE WESTERN AREAS OF THE CWA BY THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH WE WILL SEE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER MOST AREAS THE GREATEST THREAT REMAINS OVER THE NORTHERN ZONES AND ACROSS MOHAVE COUNTY THIS EVENING THROUGH MID DAY MONDAY. && PREV DISCUSSION 334 AM PST SUN NOV 15 2015 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. ONCE AGAIN WE GET TO TRANSITION BACK TO EVEN COLDER WEATHER FOR A BIT AS WE DEAL WITH ANOTHER EARLY WEEK STORM SYSTEM THIS WEEK. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE TWO AREAS THAT ARE NOT REALLY CONNECTED DIRECTLY BUT THEY WILL HELP TO DRIVE OUR WEATHER TODAY. THE FIRST IS AN EXPANSIVE AREA OF CLOUDS FROM SOCAL TO CENTRAL ARIZONA THAT EXTENDS SOUTH INTO MEXICO AHEAD OF A 110 KT+ JET STREAK AT 250 MB. MOST OF THE BETTER MOISTURE WITH THIS AREA IS GOING TO MAKE A MOVE EAST BUT THE OUTER FRINGES HAVE ALREADY SPREAD CLOUDS INTO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MOHAVE COUNTY. THE LOW-LEVELS WILL REMAIN DRY AND SO THE MAIN ISSUE TODAY WILL BE INCREASED CLOUD COVER OVER THE SOUTHEAST CWFA. THE WRF HAS BEEN THE WETTEST OF ALL THE OPERATIONAL MODELS WITH THIS SOUTHERN STREAM JET STREAK. THE CURRENT AND FORECASTED DEW POINT DEPRESSIONS SUPPORT AT BEST SOME SPRINKLES OR A BRIEF LIGHT SHOWER THAT AT MOST WOULD JUST BE ENOUGH TO DEPOSIT 0.01 INCH. THE MAIN ACTION LURKS ON WATER VAPOR OFF THE COAST OF NORCAL WHICH IS A MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT WILL BE DROPPING ON SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. AS A STRONG JET STREAK OF 110 KTS PLUS ROUNDS THE BASE OF THIS TROUGH THIS AFTERNOON IT WILL HELP TO PICK UP WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE AREA ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA. 700 MB WINDS ARE FORECASTED OFF THE GFS AND ECMWF TO BE 35-45 KNOTS AND AS THE WINDFIELDS ALIGN WITH HEIGHT THIS WILL HELP TO AID IN TRANSFERRING THE HIGHER MOMENTUM ALOFT DOWN TO THE SURFACE GENERATING GUSTY WINDS OVER 40 MPH ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN SAN BERNARDINO, WESTERN INYO, SOUTHERN NYE AND WESTERN, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF CLARK COUNTY. WIND ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. WITH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND JET STREAK FURTHER SOUTH, WE BELIEVE THIS WILL LIMIT THE STRENGTH OF ANY DOWNSLOPE OFF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA AND SPRING MOUNTAINS AND THUS IF ANY WARNING LEVEL GUSTS ARE SEEN THEY WILL BE ISOLATED. FURTHER COMPOUNDING ISSUES IS THAT SOME OF THE MODELS ARE QUICKER AT BRINGING IN SHOWERS TO THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHICH WOULD CUT DOWN ON THE STRENGTH OF THE WINDS AS THINGS MOISTEN UP A BIT. TEMPS TODAY WILL BE NEAR TO JUST BELOW NORMAL WITH THE BIGGEST DROP FROM YESTERDAY IN THE NORTHWEST CWFA WHERE HEIGHTS ARE MUCH LOWER AND COLDER AIR ALOFT STARTS TO FILTER ON IN. CLOUDS WILL HOLD DOWN TEMPS A BIT MORE THAN EARLIER EXPECTED EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF LAS VEGAS. THE LATEST MODELS STILL BRING THE BASE OF THE TROUGH ACROSS TONIGHT AND MOVE IT OUT TOMORROW MORNING. THERE IS STRONG PVA NOTED AS ENERGY ROTATES THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. THE LATEST OPERATIONAL MODELS ARE ALL WETTER LOOKING THAN 24 HOURS AGO AND SHOW MORE QPF IN MANY AREAS SO POPS WERE BUMPED UP IN A NUMBER OF SPOTS FOR A QUICK SHOT OF SHOWERS. IT APPEARS THE SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY WILL HELP TO FEED MOISTURE INTO THIS SYSTEM AND THE PWATS ARE FORECASTED TO GET BETWEEN 0.40 AND 0.50 INCH ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WHICH IS DECENT FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WILL BE NORTH OF I-40. MOST OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD END BY DAYBREAK TOMORROW IN THE WEST AND BY MID-LATE MORNING IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS SYSTEM AND PRECIPITATION WILL BE THE COLDER AIR FILTERING IN BEHIND IT. 700 MB TEMPS ARE NOT AS COLD NOW ON THE LATEST MODELS ONLY DROPPING TO -10C (THEY WERE SHOWING -14C 24 HOURS AGO). HOWEVER, WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS ARE STILL VERY LOW DOWN TO AROUND 500 FEET. ANALYZING BUFR SOUNDINGS OFF THE GFS AND WRF ONE CAN SEE ENTIRE THERMAL PROFILES OR JUST ABOUT ENTIRE THERMAL PROFILES BELOW FREEZING AT KINGMAN AND ST. GEORGE AS WELL AS LAS VEGAS. SNOW LEVELS FOR NOW WERE ADJUSTED TO BE BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000 FEET WITH ANY HEAVIER BURSTS OF PRECIPITATION DRIVING SNOW LEVELS DOWN FURTHER. MOST VALLEY LOCATIONS IN CLARK COUNTY WILL ONLY SEE LIGHT PRECIPITATION AND ANY SNOW HERE WOULD BE FLURRIES OR NON- ACCUMULATING SNOW SHOWERS. HOWEVER, OVER THE BORDER IN ARIZONA THINGS LOOK MUCH MORE INTERESTING. MODELS SHOW WHAT MAY BE A QUICK SHOT OF ACCUMULATING SNOW FOR PLACES LIKE KINGMAN AND MAYBE EVEN MEADVIEW THAT LASTS AN HOUR OR TWO. HOWEVER, IF THE SNOW FALLS AT A HEAVY ENOUGH RATE IT WILL BE ABLE TO STICK. THE BETTER SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE OVER THE GRAND CANYON PARASHANT NATIONAL MONUMENT WHERE AMOUNTS COULD HIT 6 INCHES. 2-3 INCHES OF SNOW MAY FALL IN COLORADO CITY. ONE CONCERN IS THE VIRGIN RIVER GORGE WHICH IF EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER JUST RIGHT COULD EVEN SEE SNOW IF WE SEE PRECIPITATION FALL AT A HEAVY ENOUGH RATE AND WE WET BULB. FOR NOW A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR MOHAVE COUNTY ABOVE 3000 FEET WITH CONFIDENCE HIGHEST ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW. LINCOLN COUNTY, NEVADA SHOULD ALSO SEE 2-4 INCHES OF SNOW ESPECIALLY FROM CALIENTE ON NORTH BUT GENERALLY SUB ADVISORY AMOUNTS ARE SHOWN HERE AND THUS NO HEADLINE WAS ISSUED. LASTLY NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS WILL PICK UP BEHIND THE FRONT TONIGHT AND LAST INTO MONDAY. WIND ADVISORIES ALL LOOK GOOD. WE MAY SEE POCKETS OF WARNING LEVEL WINDS MAINLY ON THE NEVADA NATIONAL SECURITY SITE AND IN ESMERALDA COUNTY. THERE SHOULD BE HEALTHY PUSH OF WINDS OVER 45 MPH OR MORE IN MOST AREAS FOR 3-5 HOURS BEHIND THE FRONT. BLOWING DUST WILL BE A CONCERN. TEMPS WILL FALL THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ON MONDAY AND I AGAIN UNDERCUT GUIDANCE HIGHS. LOWS TUESDAY MORNING MAY STRUGGLE TO HIT COLDER GUIDANCE NUMBERS AWAY FROM ANY SNOWPACK DUE TO WIND. WINDS MAY REMAIN GUSTY OFF THE SPRING MOUNTAINS INTO PAHRUMP AS REVERSE DOWNSLOPE WINDS SET UP FROM THE NORTHEAST AS THE SURFACE HIGH SETTLES INTO THE GREAT BASIN BEHIND THE DEPARTING SYSTEM. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE LATEST MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE DRY AND FAIRLY TRANQUIL WEATHER THE REST OF THE WEEK INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEKEND. NORTH WINDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE EXITING TROUGH TUESDAY WILL BE DIMINISHING BUT THE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY SOUTH OF COTTONWOOD COVE WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE AT LEAST 20-30 MPH WINDS MUCH OF THE DAY. A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BE OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING BACK INTO UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S ACROSS THE MOJAVE DESERT ZONES. NORTH BREEZES OF 15 TO 20 MPH WILL LIKELY OCCUR EACH DAY AROUND THE LAUGHLIN-BULLHEAD CITY AREA AND MAY BE ENHANCED A LITTLE FRIDAY BY A WEAK SHORT WAVE IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW. THE GFS INDICATES A DEEP TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN AND INTERMOUNTAIN REGION SUNDAY BUT THE ECMWF SOLUTION IS MUCH WEAKER WITH THIS FEATURE SO CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BY NEXT SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...TYPICAL DRAINAGE WINDS WILL GIVE WAY TO BRIEF EASTERLY UPVALLEY WINDS LATER THIS MORNING BEFORE SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ARRIVE AT THE TERMINAL EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT SUSTAINED SOUTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 20-25KTS WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35KTS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL APPROACH THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY THIS EVENING...INCREASING CHANCES OF RAIN AT THE TERMINAL AND LOWERING CIGS. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE TERMINAL AROUND 12Z...YIELDING A SHIFT IN WINDS TO NORTHWESTERLY AND LOWERING CIGS TO 5KFT OR POSSIBLY LOWER WITH SHOWERS. A FEW SNOW FLURRIES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION GIVEN TEMPERATURES...BUT ACCUMULATIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED.EXPECT THE STRONGEST NORTHWESTERLY WINDS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30KTS AND GUSTS TO 40KTS POSSIBLE. GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AFTER DAYBREAK ON MONDAY...WITH IMPROVING CIGS THROUGH THE DAY. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...WITH MECHANICAL TURBULENCE PERSISTING THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...TYPICAL DIURNAL WINDS WILL GIVE WAY TO STRONG...GUSTY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS TODAY AHEAD OF A RAPIDLY ADVANCING COLD FRONT. SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS WESTERN SAN BERNARDINO AND INYO COUNTIES...WITH SNOW SHOWERS AND REDUCED VSBY EXPECTED AT KBIH DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THESE SHOWERS COULD POTENTIALLY MITIGATE THE STRENGTH OF WINDS THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THUS CONFIDENCE IS CURRENTLY SLIGHTLY LOWER ON HOW STRONG WINDS WILL GET...ESPECIALLY AT KDAG THIS EVENING. NONETHELESS...GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY WITH MECHANICAL TURBULENCE LIKELY. CIGS WILL LOWER IN AND AROUND ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY...AS WELL AS WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT. EXPECT GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS TO PERSIST INTO MONDAY...WITH MECHANICAL TURBULENCE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS SUNDAY AND MONDAY ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. && UPDATE...GORELOW SHORT TERM...STACHELSKI LONG TERM...ADAIR AVIATION...PULLIN FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
This gust occurred 40 miles E of Beatty.
These winds occurred 44 miles ENE of Beatty.
A gust of 67 mph occurred 39 miles ENE of Beatty, and a gust of 58 mph occurred 2 miles S of Goldfield.
Two large trees were blown down in the Las Vegas Valley. Peak wind gusts of 52 mph were measured at the North Las Vegas Airport and Nellis Air Force Base.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, 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: 602981, 602982, 602983, 602984.