A strong low pressure system brought heavy snow to the mountains of southern Nevada, and isolated heavy rain to the lower elevations.
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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.
A strong low pressure system brought heavy snow to the mountains of southern Nevada, and isolated heavy rain to the lower elevations.
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 Feb 17, 9:13 PM PST, 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 913 PM PST Fri Feb 17 2017 .SYNOPSIS...A strong area of low pressure moving across the area tonight and Saturday will produce significant valley rain and mountain snow. In addition, gusty south winds will occur in portions of the Mojave Desert. Showers will be possible across mainly Lincoln, Clark and Mohave counties on Sunday and again in the Sierra and southern Great Basin on Monday. && .UPDATE...The wide band of moderate to heavy rain that has persisted over southern California will slowly make its way toward us overnight and it still appears there will be plenty of left over precipitation for us. The latest HRRR and NAM/GFS are fairly close in timing with the edge of the precipitation moving over eastern San Bernardino County and southern Nevada between 1 AM and 4 AM PST then holding until about noon in the strong diffluent flow of the trough digging into northern Baja. It will then progress over northwest Arizona. The 00Z NAM and GFS model run accumulated precip depictions show widespread amounts of 0.50-1.25" across southern Nevada and Mohave County Arizona by Saturday evening...with locally higher amounts. This supports the overall forecast trends detailed in the previous discussion and only minor changes will be made...mainly to adjust POPs upward a little where the precip band is forecast to set up Saturday. -Adair && .PREV DISCUSSION... 306 PM PST Fri Feb 17 2017 .SHORT TERM...through Sunday night. A strong area of low pressure off the central California coast will move to the coast this evening and then across the Mojave Desert and Southern Great Basin Saturday before exiting to the east on Sunday. An impressive moisture tap is evident on visible satellite imagery feeding into southern California where 2-4+ inch rain totals have been reported over the past 12 hours. Models bring this moisture feed eastward tonight where it falls apart to some extent...but is still expected to bring a generous amount of rain and high elevation snow to our area. Winter Storm Warnings continue for the Sierra and White Mountains of Inyo County and the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range in southern Nevada where snow will be heavy at times tonight and Saturday. Rain amounts are forecast to be the highest across Inyo and western San Bernardino counties where a Flash Flood Watch is currently in effect through 10 PM Saturday evening and in western San Bernardino, southern Clark and southern Mohave counties where a Flash Flood Watch goes into effect at midnight and continues into Saturday evening. 1-3 inches of rain are possible in these areas with local higher amounts. Not looking to expand the winter weather products at this time however model forecasted snow totals for the Hualapai Mountains in southern Mohave County suggest an advisory may be needed for Saturday afternoon/night. Will pass along these concerns to the overnight crew. The other primary concern is wind where Wind Advisories are in effect for portions of the Mojave Desert. Due to orientation of the wind field, system strength and what is occurring west of our area in southern California, strong downslope winds are possible into the Twentynine Palms area later this afternoon into the early evening. A Wind Advisory is currently in effect but local gusts over 60 mph are possible. On Sunday, the system moves east but precipitation could linger behind the system across the eastern CWA through the day. Mainly dry conditions are expected Sunday night with slight chances in the Sierra in anticipation of the next upstream system. Below normal temperatures are expected again Saturday then warming to just above normal Sunday. No changes were made to the forecast beyond Sunday night. .LONG TERM...Monday through Thursday. A shortwave ridge will build in from the west on Sunday night, but significant moisture will spill over the top of the ridge keeping mid and high level clouds in the area on Monday. At the same time, an impulse will move across the northwest portion of the area, over the Sierra late Sunday night and into Esmeralda and central Nye Counties during the day on Monday, providing a chance of showers. The next feature of note will be a low that will work its way down the west coast and move inland in northern California on Wednesday and across the Great Basin Wednesday night as it closes off, providing another chance of showers mainly over southern Nevada and northwest Arizona Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night. Snow levels will average around 7000 feet Wednesday afternoon and fall to 4000 feet by Thursday morning. Temperatures will be on a bit of a roller coaster ride, starting near normal on Sunday, trend warmer through Tuesday and then return to near normal on Thursday. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...CIGs will begin to lower to AOB 5 kft by 08Z with the next rain band soon thereafter. Expect lowest CIGS between 12 and 18Z down to around BKN015. More uncertainty when the main rain band will push to the east of KLAS but currently expect that to occur during the afternoon around 20Z. The stronger winds have remained aloft and still expecting some higher gusts during the evening hours before the rain band arrives. For the rest of southern Nevada...northwest Arizona...and southeast California...Primarily southerly winds during the period with strong and gusty in San Bernardino, Inyo and southern Mohave County tonight. The gusty south winds will persist across southern Mohave County on Saturday. Areas of rain increasing west to east tonight and persisting through much of the day on Saturday. Expect lower CIGS/VSBY and mountain tops obscured during the period. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. In particular, any significant rain or wind and any reports of flooding through the weekend. && Short Term...Salmen Aviation...Czyzyk Long Term...Steele 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), 176 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:58 UTC.
1 heavy snow, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Twenty two inches of snow fell on Mount Charleston.
The Red Rock Scenic Loop and the access roads to Bonnie Springs Ranch and Spring Mountain State Park were all closed due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, February 2017
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: 681164, 681167.