A series of three Pacific storms impacted the desert Southwest, bringing periods of heavy rain, heavy snow, and locally dense fog.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 series of three Pacific storms impacted the desert Southwest, bringing periods of heavy rain, heavy snow, and locally dense fog.
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 Jan 4, 3:34 PM MST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 234 PM PST MON JAN 4 2016 .SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF PACIFIC STORMS WILL AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK. THE FIRST SYSTEM WILL EXIT THE REGION TONIGHT AFTER BRINGING LIGHT RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW MAINLY TO AREAS FROM LAS VEGAS EAST. TWO SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ARE EXPECTED TO BE MUCH WETTER AND BRING WIDESPREAD VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. HEAVY SNOW AND DIFFICULT TRAVEL IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS. && .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE FIRST IN A LONG SERIES OF WAVES IS MOVING ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...WITH THE BRUNT OF THE ENERGY LOCATED BETWEEN YUMA AND PHOENIX. HOWEVER...THIS WAVE DID TRIGGER FAIRLY WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS TODAY...MAINLY OVER AREAS EAST OF A TWENTYNINE PALMS- PAHRUMP-RACHEL LINE. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH AND SHIFT EAST INTO CENTRAL ARIZONA AS THE WAVE CONTINUES ITS TRACK TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS REGION. THIS WILL RESULT IN A BRIEF BREAK OVERNIGHT BEFORE A MUCH MORE POTENT AND MOISTURE-RICH SYSTEM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. THIS SECOND SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SIGNIFICANT AND WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WERE INCREASED JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE AS CONFIDENCE IN THE COVERAGE AND TIMING CONTINUES TO INCREASE. SIGNIFICANT SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 5000-6000 FEET. THE WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 5500 FEET FOR THE SIERRA...WHITE MOUNTAINS...SPRING MOUNTAINS...AND SHEEP RANGE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED FOR THE REMAINING AREAS PREVIOUSLY COVERED BY THE WATCH. MEANWHILE...MOST VALLEY LOCATIONS SHOULD EXPECT AT LEAST 0.25-0.60 INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS...MOST OF WHICH WILL FALL IN A 6 HOUR PERIOD AT ANY GIVEN LOCATION. THIS COULD RESULT IN SOME MINOR FLOODING IN AREAS THAT SEE PROLONGED MODERATE RAIN OR HEAVIER SHOWER ACTIVITY. A FEW ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS...OR EVEN A THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ACROSS SAN BERNARDINO AND SOUTHERN MOHAVE COUNTIES LATE TUESDAY...AND A MENTION OF THUNDER WAS ADDED INTO THE FORECAST THERE. PRECIPITATION SHOULD GENERALLY TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THOUGH MONDAY. VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD AS A SERIES OF PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS PROGRESS THROUGH THE REGION. THE PERIOD WILL START OFF WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH A PROGRESSIVE (AND QUITE BRIEF) SHORTWAVE RIDGE PUSHING INTO THE AREA ALLOWING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF DRYING WEDNESDAY MORNING BETWEEN STORM SYSTEMS. THE BREAK WILL NOT LAST HOWEVER AS INCREASING PRECIP CHANCES WILL MOVE INTO OUR WESTERN AREAS BY LATE IN THE DAY IN ADVANCE OF A ROBUST LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF THE PACIFIC COAST. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE GRADUALLY DROPPING THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD...STARTING OFF AROUND 4500-5000 FEET WEDNESDAY AND FALLING TO BETWEEN 3500-4000 FEET BY THURSDAY. MOST AREAS SHOULD SEE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ON THE LIGHT SIDE...BETWEEN A TENTH AN A QUARTER OF AN INCH OR RAINFALL...HOWEVER MOHAVE COUNTY AND THE SIERRA STAND A GOOD CHANCE TO SEE CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN THAT. I HAVE HIGH ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO GO WITH A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SIERRA WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY MORNING WHERE SNOW AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 8 INCHES ARE LOOKING LIKELY. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF MOHAVE COUNTY AS WELL...ABOVE 4500 FEET...BUT MODEL CONSENSUS IS POOR ON THE EXACT TIMING AND AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION AND MY CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH AT THIS POINT TO GO WITH ANY WATCHES. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IN THE SPRING MOUNTAINS. THE MAIN TAKE AWAY WITH THE WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY STORM IS THAT ANOTHER ROUND OF WET WEATHER IS EXPECTED WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW EXPECTED ABOUT THE 4500 FOOT LEVEL. SOME ELEVATIONS DOWN TO 3500 FEET MAY EVEN SEE LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW THURSDAY MORNING INCLUDING THE SPRING MOUNTAINS AND UPPER REACHES OF RED ROCK CANYON. BE ADVISED OF WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS IF TRAVELING OR PLANNING RECREATION IN THESE AREAS. FRIDAY...LEAST CONFIDENCE EXISTS WITH THE FORECAST AS THE GFS DRAGS A SLUG OF MOISTURE UP INTO OUR SOUTHERN ZONES WHILE MOST OF THE OTHER MODELS RETAIN A DRIER AND MORE SHOWERY OUTLOOK. MAINTAINED LOW POPS FOR THIS TIME FRAME BUT IT BEARS WATCHING. SATURDAY LOOKS LIKE THE MOST LIKELY DRY DAY OF THE WEEK AHEAD AS RIDGING TRIES TO BUILD INTO THE WEST COAST AND THE TROUGH RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSETTLED WEATHER LATE IN THE WEEK MOVES EASTWARD. ANOTHER POSSIBLE STORM SYSTEM MAY MOVE IN ON SUNDAY...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THIS FAR OUT JUNCTURE. LONG STORY SHORT...KEEP THE UMBRELLAS AND/OR SNOW SHOVELS HANDY FOR THIS STORMY WEEK AHEAD. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...LIGHT AND MOSTLY VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED AT THE TERMINAL THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. CONSIDERABLE CLOUD COVER AND OCCASIONAL SHOWERS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WITH CIGS 5-7K FEET. CIGS & PRECIPITATION CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO IMPROVE THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT BEFORE DETERIORATING AGAIN EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. CIGS TUESDAY MAY DROP TO BELOW 2-4K FEET (BRIEF PERIODS OF LOWER CIGS POSSIBLE NEAR SHOWER ACTIVITY)...WITH RAIN SHOWERS BY LATE MORNING. A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING ALONG WITH INCREASED SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WHICH SHOULD EVENTUALLY TURN TO THE SOUTHWEST DURING THE EVENING. ANOTHER BREAK IN THE WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SERIES OF STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. MOUNTAINS OBSCURATIONS...MECHANICAL TURBULENCE...AND ICING WILL LIKELY BE ISSUES FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...SHOWER ACTIVITY FROM LAS VEGAS EAST CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. CIGS HAVE GENERALLY RANGED FROM 4-7K FEET AND MAY BRIEFLY IMPROVE OVERNIGHT. MAINLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS THROUGH THIS PERIOD...EXCEPT ENHANCED SOUTHERLY WINDS NEAR KBIH. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD RAIN...MOUNTAIN SNOW...AND LOWER CIGS (GENERALLY 2-4K FEET...BUT BRIEF PERIODS OF LOWER CIGS WILL BE POSSIBLE) FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE ALSO LIKELY TO INCREASE BY MID-DAY TUESDAY. ANOTHER BREAK IN THE WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SERIES OF STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. MOUNTAINS OBSCURATIONS...MECHANICAL TURBULENCE...AND ICING WILL LIKELY BE ISSUES FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...WHILE SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT RAIN...SNOW...OR OTHER WEATHER-RELATED IMPACTS. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...WOLCOTT LONG TERM.............OUTLER FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:03 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 heavy rain, 1 dense fog, 1 funnel cloud, 1 freezing fog. Local standard time, as filed.
A car crash on Highway 68 near mile marker 11 at 1738 MST during a rain storm injured one person (indirect).
Dense fog briefly reduced visibility to near zero in Bullhead City.
Portions of Teddy Roosevelt Road and Shinarump Drive were closed due to flooding.
Willow Beach Road was closed due to significant debris on the road.
A weak funnel cloud was photographed near Boriana Mine Road east of Yucca.
Freezing fog reduced visibility to 1/4 mile at Colorado City Airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, January 2016
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: 611577, 611578, 611579, 611580, 611581, 611582.