Another push of monsoon moisture led to isolated severe weather and flash flooding over the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin. The episode continued through August 5th.
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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 push of monsoon moisture led to isolated severe weather and flash flooding over the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin. The episode continued through August 5th.
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 Jul 28, 1:07 PM PST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 207 PM PDT THU JUL 28 2016 .SYNOPSIS...Dangerously hot conditions are expected to continue through Friday with isolated afternoon mountain thunderstorm activity. Cooler temperatures and more widespread thunderstorm activity is expected over the weekend and next week as monsoon moisture returns to the area. && .SHORT TERM...through Sunday night. This morning, satellite imagery showed a large thunderstorm complex rolling westward across the Gulf of California and the Baja Peninsula. A deep moisture pool now resides over this region and available for any disturbance to tap and bring north towards our area. Such a feature has been forecast by the models for several days and remains the feature of interest for the upcoming weekend. But first, today and Friday. Temperatures at 1 PM were running similar or slightly warmer than yesterday in areas that have been cloud free. Areas that had debris cloudiness for much of the day thus far, including Las Vegas, were running several degrees behind yesterday through the morning hours but have since recovered as cloud cover decreases. Las Vegas now looks on track to reach and potentially exceed the record for the day. An Excessive Heat Warning continues for today and Friday. Since around 11 AM, isolated thunderstorms have been forming over the higher terrain of Clark, central Nye, Lincoln and northern Mohave counties. The HRRR forecasts this trend continuing through the afternoon with the potential for stronger outflow winds. Later this afternoon, storms are forecast to develop over the Sierra and then roll off into the Owens Valley, White Mountains and into Esmeralda county. Isolated storms should last through the evening hours then dissipate overnight. Similar atmospheric conditions exist for Friday however with no resolved lifting mechanism, terrain driven convection is likely but possibly less coverage. Temperature wise, lows will begin Friday morning quite warm and afternoon highs will remain very hot. Now back to the weekend forecast. An easterly wave is forecast to bring the deeper moisture currently over Baja and the Gulf of California northward over the weekend. The wave axis tilts in a southwest to northeast direction as it pushes north but is still forecast to be over central Baja Saturday. Although high pressure is weakening by Saturday, it may limit the northward reach of the moisture. As the wave accelerates northward Saturday night, moisture is forecast to surge ahead of it potentially setting the stage for a very active day Sunday. High pressure off the southern California coast Sunday may act against the western extent of storm formation with development more isolated. over the western CWA, especially if the GFS verifies. In fact, convection would be limited west of line from Caliente to Daggett. The Sunday temperature forecast shows there are model differences however and this lowers confidence somewhat. The GFS temp forecast for Sunday is near normal while the ECMWF is 6-8 degrees below normal. Stay tuned. .LONG TERM...Monday through Thursday. This period was not changed and the following was parsed from the previous long term discussion. Meanwhile...a persistent dry westerly flow is forecast across the southern Sierra into south central Nevada Monday through the middle of next week in the base of a mean Pacific Northwest trough. This will keep moisture confined primarily to eastern San Bernardino county...southern Nevada and northwest Arizona after Monday. Temperatures will lower through the weekend with the moisture increase and remain in the 100-105 degree range across most of the Mojave Desert region through next week. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Isolated storms in the higher terrain surrounding the valley will generate outflows that may affect the terminal at times this afternoon and this evening and possibly again tomorrow afternoon. Although a storm affecting the terminal is unlikely, this cannot be ruled out. Otherwise, light/diurnally- driven winds expected the next 24 hours. Chances for storms increase this weekend. For the rest of southern Nevada...northwest Arizona...and southeast California...Isolated storms will affect the high terrain in much of the area through early this evening, with outflows producing gusty/erratic winds potentially impacting the terminals, especially KVGT, KHND, and KBIH. Chances return again tomorrow. Otherwise, light/diurnally-driven winds expected through the period. Increasing chances for storms across the area this weekend. && .FIRE WEATHER...Very hot conditions expected areawide again on Friday before a return to more typical mid-summer heat resumes. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible over the mountainous terrain Friday, and some storms may produce several lightning strikes but limited rainfall especially across southern Nevada. Increasing monsoon moisture will result in expanding thunderstorm coverage over the weekend and wetter storms. Winds will be fairly light aside from some afternoon breezes and thunderstorm outflow. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report significant weather according to standard operating procedures. && Short Term...Salmen Long Term...Adair Aviation...Shafer 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), 187 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:11 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree also blew down.
Dime to nickel size hail fell from Mount Charleston to Mary Jane Falls.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, July 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: 646650, 646651.