An unusually powerful low pressure system and cold front brought high west to southwest winds ahead of it and high north winds behind it as it tracked through the southern Great Basin and the Mojave Desert.
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.
An unusually powerful low pressure system and cold front brought high west to southwest winds ahead of it and high north winds behind it as it tracked through the southern Great Basin and the Mojave Desert.
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 Mar 30, 7:47 AM PST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 847 AM PDT Thu Mar 30 2017 .SYNOPSIS...A powerful wind storm is expected to impact the region today, bringing widespread wind gusts of 45 to 65 MPH this afternoon and evening. Winds will decrease somewhat overnight, however gusty winds will remain through Friday, especially across the southern Great Basin. This system will also bring isolated thunderstorms to areas north and east of Las vegas. A weaker storm will move across the area Monday. && .UPDATE...All remains on track for a high impact wind day around the area. No changes made to timing or strength of the system at this time. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued at 337 AM PDT Thu Mar 30 2017/ .SHORT TERM...Today through Friday Night. It's a deceptively quiet start to the day this morning. The few clouds that are drifting overhead this morning give little hint of the powerful wind storm that will impact the region over the next 24 hours. Westerly pre-frontal winds are expected to begin to materialize over the Sierra and western Mojave desert areas by mid-morning, spreading east across the rest of the desert by mid- day. A vigorous cold front will sweep south across the forecast area between 10am and 8pm PDT (17z-03z), pushing across the Las Vegas Valley between 3pm-5pm (22z-00z). Westerly pre-frontal winds are expected to peak shortly before the front, while northwesterly post-frontal winds will peak with and just behind the front. The latest high-res guidance has come in slightly stronger than previous runs, and as a result I've upgraded the Wind Advisory that was in effect for the Needles/Lake Havasu area to a High Wind Warning (this means that our entire forecast area is now included in the warning). Significant blowing dust is likely today, particularly near dry lake beds across the region. This is expected to lead to dangerous travel conditions (in addition to the strong crosswinds). Showers and isolated thunderstorms are also expected with this system, mainly to the north and east of Las Vegas with the cold front. Isolated showers will remain possible across Lincoln, northern Mohave, and northeastern Clark counties into Friday. Overall, precipitation impacts are expected to be minimal. Northwesterly winds in the wake of the front will diminish overnight across the Mojave Desert. However strong winds will remain across the southern Great Basin areas. The Wind Advisory on Friday was expanded to include the Sheep Range and the Las Vegas Valley, mainly due to the potential for 40+ MPH gusts over the northwest third of the valley. Winds should begin to taper off over these areas Friday night. .LONG TERM...Saturday through Wednesday. Low pressure if forecast to linger near the Four Corners region on Saturday before getting nudged eastward by an incoming upstream wave on Sunday. This upstream system will be the next adverse weather generator for our area but should pale in comparison to its predecessor. The time frame for the main event for this next system will be Monday with another cold front pushing through Monday afternoon. This system then pushes east by Tuesday, leaving ridging overhead for Wednesday. Models are hinting at an AR event for the West Coast heading into the latter part of next week but this is beyond the official 7-day forecast and I will leave it at that for now. Breezy north winds to continue into Saturday with the area still on the backside of the departing low pressure system. Light winds return Sunday morning but may begin to respond in the afternoon as the next system approaches the west coast. Windy conditions are expected once again on Monday with another cold front pressing south during the day. The quick hitting nature of the system will allow winds to decrease faster and all but the Colorado River Valley should see lighter winds Tuesday and Wednesday. Precipitation chances will be limited to mainly the mountains of the Southern Great Basin and perhaps northern Mohave County on Monday with dry conditions forecast Tuesday and Wednesday. Above normal temperatures are expected over the weekend then cooling back to seasonal levels Monday and Tuesday. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Light winds this morning will rapidly increase as a powerful storm system impacts the region mid-day today into Friday. Gusty southwest winds early this afternoon will turn to the northwest behind a strong cold front this afternoon between 22Z and 01Z. Northwest gusts of 40-50 KTS are expected this afternoon and evening. Northwest winds of 20-30 KTS will continue on Friday with gusts of 35-45 KTS. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Light winds generally less than 10 KTS early this morning. Winds will increase during the morning hours ahead of a powerful storm system that will impact the area through Friday. Gusty west to southwest winds will occur along and south of the I-15 corridor with the strongest wind gusts of 40-50 KTS across the western portions of San Bernardino County. A strong cold front will push south across the region from mid-day today into this evening. North to northwest gusts of 40-50 KTS are expected with this cold front. North winds will linger Friday into Saturday. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Strong, potentially damaging winds are expected today along with areas of significant blowing dust. Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && Short Term...........Wolcott Long Term/Aviation...Salmen Update...............Berc/Kryston && 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.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The peak gust occurred 44 miles ENE of Beatty.
The peak gust occurred at Cottonwood Cove.
The peak gust occurred at Nellis AFB. There was widespread damage to trees, power poles and lines, street lights, and billboards. Some of the trees and poles damaged homes and cars. There were also numerous power outages.
The peak gust occurred at Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge. Three power poles were blown down in Pahrump.
The peak gust occurred at Red Rock Canyon.
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, March 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: 681215, 681216, 681217, 681218, 681219.