Nevada, 2017High Wind in Nevada, November 27, 2017
November 27, 2017 · NWS VEF · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
A strong cold front blasted through the Mojave Desert, bringing high winds and ending a period of record warmth.
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
A strong cold front blasted through the Mojave Desert, bringing high winds and ending a period of record warmth.
What forecasters said that day
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 Nov 27, 3:41 AM PST, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 27, 3:41 AM PST, 3 hours 32 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
341 AM PST Mon Nov 27 2017
.SYNOPSIS...A fast moving cold front will bring strong winds and
cooler temperatures to the region today. There is a chance of rain
and high elevation snow in the Sierra and across the southern Great
Basin with mainly dry conditions elsewhere. An unsettled weather
pattern will lead to more seasonal temperatures for the rest of the
week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...through Wednesday night.
Satellite shows mid-high clouds streaming inland across southern
California and southern Nevada this morning ahead of upper trough
near San Francisco. So far, observations indicate generally a tenth
of an inch or less of rain in the Owens Valley and adjacent
foothills. Near real-time reports estimate 2-4 inches of new snow in
the southern Sierra at elevations between 9000 and 10500 feet.
The upper trough near San Francisco will quickly shift east across
southern Nevada today. Band of mid-high clouds progged to shift east
of the area by early afternoon while lower clouds and precipitation
associated with cold front develop across south central Nevada as
well as the Spring Mtns and Sheep Range. Precipitation totals across
southern Nevada will be a tenth of an inch or less. The exception
could be the mountains of northern Lincoln County with up to two
tenth of an inch.
Again, primary hazard of the day will be the wind. Seeing some wind
gusts between 40-50 mph already this morning in the upper elevation
of the Spring Mtns. Just starting to see some isolated gusts around
40 mph at slightly lower elevation in the western Mojave Desert and
south central Nevada. Made no change to existing wind products as
entire region should see wind gusts of 40-55 mph.
We are likely setting near our high temperatures for the day at many
spots due to the wind. Temperatures should start to cool this
afternoon behind the cold frontal passage.
Any lingering showers over northern Mohave County/eastern Lincoln
County will come to an end this evening as trough quickly moves east
toward the Four Corners. The rest of the period looks dry. A weak
ridge will be over the region Tuesday. Next trough still expected to
split Wednesday with northern stream energy brushing northern
Nevada. More uncertainty regarding southern stream energy with ECMWF
developing a closed low well southwest of San Diego. NAM/GFS keep
the low closer to the southern California/Baja Peninsula coast. Some
north breezes possible both days.
.LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday.
Thursday and Friday will be dry and seasonable with flat high
pressure sitting over the region and the Pacific cut-off low
meandering off the Northern Baja Coast. As this point, its beginning
to appear that the aforementioned cut-off low will pass too far
south to have a substancial effect on our regional weather. This
will keep precipitation chances low until later Saturday for most of
the region as a larger Pacific trough develops over Northern
California.
Confidence over the weekend remains low, although at least the
forecast models have been consistent within themselves thus far. The
ECMWF continues to advertise a cold and potentially wet scenario,
while the GFS suggests a more progressive trough with cooling
temperatures and precipitation generally north of Las Vegas. About
1/3rd of the GFS Ensembles represent the ECMWF scenario, though the
mean favors the more progressive trough. Until greater confidence is
achieved, I just took a middle ground approach with cooling
temperatures over the weekend and maintained widespread but
generally low (20-30%) precipitation chances. Regardless of the
eventual outcome, much more December-like temperatures can be
expected from the Sunday onward.
&&
.AVIATION...For McCarran... Southerly winds are
expected through sunrise, with gusts of 20-25 knots increasing by
daybreak. Strong southwest to west winds are expected later this
morning into the early afternoon then turning to the northwest and
becoming gusty by mid afternoon behind a cold front. Moderate
turbulence is possible through much of the day. Breezy north or
northwest winds will linger into Tuesday morning.
For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...Gusty southwest winds overspread the region this
morning with a cold front quickly sliding from northwest to
southeast through the day. Winds will shift to north or northwest
first near KBIH and the southern Great Basin, with the wind shift
arriving down the Colorado River this evening. Widespread gusts of
25-35 knots are likely both ahead of and behind the cold front, with
winds gradually relaxing overnight. In addition to the wind,
occasional shower activity is likely near KBIH and most of the
southern Great Basin through this afternoon.
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...The region will experience strong
winds today. Spotters are encouraged to report any significant
weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures.
&&
Short term...Pierce
Long term/Aviation...Outler
For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:
http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
High Wind, Western Clark/Southern Nye
- When
- November 27, 7:13 AM PST to 3:08 PM PST
- Where
- Western Clark/Southern Nye forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 37.129, -115.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High winds occurred at Indian Springs and Pahrump.
High Wind, Esmeralda/Central Nye
- When
- November 27, 7:45 AM PST to 9:15 AM PST
- Where
- Esmeralda/Central Nye forecast zone
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 37.914, -117.052 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
These winds occurred 40 miles E of Beatty.
High Wind, Sheep Range
- When
- November 27, 11:30 AM PST
- Where
- Sheep Range forecast zone
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 36.929, -114.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
This gust occurred 8 miles SE of Hayford Peak.
High Wind, Las Vegas Valley
- When
- November 27, 2:16 PM PST to 2:45 PM PST
- Where
- Las Vegas Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.215, -115.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The peak measured gust occurred at the North Las Vegas Airport. In North Las Vegas, power lines and a small tree were blown down, a car window was broken, and roof tiles were damaged.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Wildfire in Arkansas, November 27 to 28, 20173 injured · $85,000 · 2 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, November 27, 201763 kt wind · 12 events
- Flooding and Strong Wind in California, November 27, 20177 events
- High Wind in Utah, November 27, 201757 kt wind · 5 events
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, November 27 to 30, 20175 events
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 27, 20173 events
- Wildfire in Oklahoma, November 27, 20171 event
- High Wind in California, November 27, 2017$2,000 · 52 kt wind · 1 event
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: 724815, 724817, 724818, 724819.