Several closely spaced storm systems passed through the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin, bringing widespread heavy snow to the higher terrain and isolated flooding problems to the lower elevations.
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.
Several closely spaced storm systems passed through the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin, bringing widespread heavy snow to the higher terrain and isolated flooding problems 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 Jan 18, 7:51 PM PST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 751 PM PST Wed Jan 18 2017 .SYNOPSIS...The first in a series of wet storm systems will push across the region tonight and Thursday. This will be quickly followed by a second system Friday into Saturday and yet another Sunday into Monday. These storms will bring significant snow to the mountains and rain to the deserts. && .UPDATE...Light rain had pushed into Inyo and western San Bernardino counties this evening, with a few showers in the Spring Mountains as well, but probably only virga in the Clark County valleys thus far. Rain will continue spreading east overnight, as reflected in the previous forecast. No update planned this evening. && .PREV DISCUSSION... 255 PM PST Wed Jan 18 2017 .SHORT TERM...tonight through Friday night. Two Pacific storms are still on track to impact much of our region tonight through Friday night. The base of the first trough was located just off the central California Coast and an extensive moisture plume could be seen spreading across California and Nevada. This moisture will head our way as the trough digs and quickly moves inland tonight and Thursday across southern California and the Mojave Desert Region as an open wave. Radar loops showed precipitation beginning to reach the southern Sierra as of this writing but precipitation also extended down to near Santa Barbara and a band is forecast to expand from southwest to northeast across San Bernardino County into southern Nye County and the Spring Mountains by late this evening. This will continue moving across southern Nevada and northwest Arizona overnight and looks like it will be followed by a secondary band Thursday morning through afternoon just ahead of the trough axis which is forecast to move over southern Nevada by late Thursday afternoon. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible across the Mojave Desert zones, including the Las Vegas Valley. Precipitation will taper off from west to east on the back side of it and will see a brief break through early Friday. Snow levels will drop to around 5000 feet overnight tonight and Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect through Friday night for most of the higher terrain in our region. See the latest Winter Weather Message (RNOWSWVEF) for additional details. The next Pacific system, currently located south of the Aleutian Islands near 40N/170W, is forecast to follow a similar track with similar impacts. The trough is forecast to dive into southern California and southern Nevada Friday and Friday night but precipitation ahead of it will spread into the southern Sierra early Friday morning and quickly across the rest of the region Friday afternoon through Friday evening. The latest Model QPF depictions and GEFS QPF plumes are fairly similar with amounts from each storm. Average amounts of 0.25-0.50" should be fairly common across the desert zones although amounts in central and southern Mohave county should be more in the 0.50-0.75" range. Snow amounts may be a little higher with the Friday system and accumulations of 1-3 inches may impact I-15 near Mountain Pass and I-40 east of Kingman Friday afternoon and evening. .LONG TERM...Saturday through Wednesday. 2nd system in the parade of storms will be exiting the area Saturday with shortwave ridging bringing a break in precipitation to most of the area by afternoon. The only except would be northwest Arizona where precipitation may linger through Saturday afternoon. The break will be short-lived as precipitation with the 3rd system looks to develop in California late Saturday evening and spread across the rest of the area Sunday. This 3rd system has the potential of producing more precipitation then the first two combined. However, there are some large differences between the operational GFS and operational ECMWF in QPF fields Sunday night-Monday. For now taking a wait and see approach so made very little change to the Sunday night-Monday periods. High pressure building over the Great Basin beyond Tuesday will lead to dry weather and a period of north winds. Temperatures will be below normal during the period. .AVIATION...For McCarran...East wind at 5-10 kts shifting to the southwest early this evening. Winds look to become gusty late this evening as precipitation starts to develop. Precipitation and lower CIGs to around 5k feet between 05z-15z. Lower CIGs expected to improve Thursday afternoon. Additional storm system will impact the region into early next week with precipitation and lower CIGS. For the rest of southern Nevada...northwest Arizona...and southeast California...Precipitation and rapidly lowering CIGs to 5-10k feet are expected to push west across the region this evening. South or West wind may becoming gusty with the onset of precipitation. Precipitation and low CIGs are expected to persist through much of Thursday morning before improving during the afternoon. Additional storm system will impact the region into early next week with precipitation/lower CIGS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotter activation is not expected today. A series of storm systems will impact the region tonight through early next week. Spotters are encouraged to report rain and snow amounts as well as any weather-related impacts/damage. && Update...Morgan Short Term...Adair Long Term/Aviation...Pierce 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 heavy snow, 1 winter weather, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Fifteen inches of snow fell in Lee Canyon.
Fifteen inches of snow fell in Rainbow Canyon.
The fire station on Mount Charleston received 17.4 inches of snow.
Red Rock Scenic Loop was closed due to snow falling as low as 4000 feet.
The ceiling of an apartment fell in due to heavy rain.
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, January 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: 677156, 677157, 677159, 677158, 677160.