A strong low pressure system moving through the Pacific Northwest produced high winds over portions of southeast California and southern Nevada.
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 low pressure system moving through the Pacific Northwest produced high winds over portions of southeast California and southern Nevada.
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 May 19, 1:40 PM PST, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 240 PM PDT THU MAY 19 2016 .SYNOPSIS...Windy conditions will continue through Friday night as a strong area of low pressure approaches the area. Temperatures will be several degrees above normal today, but fall to below normal readings Friday through the weekend. Shower chances will mainly be limited to the Sierra and portions of the southern Great Basin. Unsettled and cool weather will linger into next week. && .SHORT TERM...through Saturday night. Winds have been slow to materialize today but are beginning to creep stronger as we progress further into the afternoon hours. Winds across the Nevada Security site have been consistently gusting into the 40-50 mph range and winds are starting to pick up across the Owens Valley. Owens Valley RAWS west of Bishop recently gusted to 45 mph and should gust higher later this afternoon. High res guidance still suggesting potentially damaging downslope winds developing by this evening across the Owens Valley and Spring Mountains. Winds in the Owens Valley will likely peak this evening...while winds will continue to increase much of the night for the Spring Mountains and near Red Rock Canyon where gusts to 70 mph are possible. I've also thrown the Yucca Valley and Morongo Basin into the wind advisory starting today through Saturday morning. Biggest impacts from the winds will be areas of blowing dust and reduced visibility...localized power outages...and downed trees especially in the Spring Mountains and Owens Valley. Otherwise...after a warm day today cooler conditions are in store for Friday ending up close to seasonal normals. Even cooler weather can be expected Saturday with temperatures falling several degrees below average. Precipitation will remain limited to the southern Great Basin and Sierra through the weekend. .LONG TERM...Sunday through Wednesday. Overall weather pattern will remain active through next week as a broad trough remains entrenched across the western states. A series of weak impulses will move through causing bouts of winds and shower chances but greatest impacts will be across the Sierra and Southern Great Basin with generally dry conditions elsewhere. Temperatures will remain cool through the period by late May standards, with a gradual rebound commencing late in the week as high pressure attempts to build back into the region. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Strong and gusty south to southwest (180 to 210 degrees) winds continue at the terminal at this hour, with speeds fluctuating between 10-15 kts and gusts 20-25 kts. Winds are expected to increase this evening and remain gusty through the overnight hours, with sustained winds to 20 kts and gusts to 30 kts possible. High winds will continue into tomorrow, where gusts could reach as high as 40 kts at times during the afternoon. Mechanical turbulence is likely through Friday evening. Calmer conditions will resume for Saturday. For the rest of southern Nevada...northwest Arizona...and southeast California...Strong and gusty southwest winds continue across the region this afternoon, with the strongest winds expected at KDAG through tomorrow evening. Areas of blowing dust will be possible. The strongest winds will impact the region tomorrow, with sustained speeds generally 20-30 kts and gusts to 40 kts during the afternoon. Mechanical turbulence is likely across the region through tomorrow evening. Calmer conditions will resume for Saturday. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Reports of high winds, wind damage, and blowing dust which is causing reduced visibilities is encouraged through this weekend. && Short Term/Long Term...Outler Aviation...Pullin For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The peak wind gust was measured 4 miles NW of Independence. Several trees were downed in the Owens Valley, some of which blocked roads, and at least one of which fell on a vehicle.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 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: 627380.