A slow moving low pressure system pulled a plume of moisture over the Mojave Desert, resulting in unseasonably heavy rain and some flash flooding. The unusually humid conditions also led to patchy dense fog.
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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 slow moving low pressure system pulled a plume of moisture over the Mojave Desert, resulting in unseasonably heavy rain and some flash flooding. The unusually humid conditions also led to patchy dense fog.
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 9, 3:55 AM PST, 4 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 355 AM PST Tue Jan 9 2018 .SYNOPSIS...A potent Pacific storm system will move through the region today and this evening bringing widespread rain and high elevation snow to the area. A few showers may linger Wednesday across eastern Lincoln and northern Mohave Counties then dry and mild conditions are expected Thursday through the weekend. && .SHORT TERM...through Wednesday. The upper low was approaching the California coast early this morning and has been generating a persistent area of light to moderate rain across mainly San Bernardino, Clark and Mohave Counties. As of 3 am, it appeared as though the snow level was still roughly around 9000 feet. This area of precipitation will continue to progress northeast through the morning while the next area of significant precipitation just ahead of the upper low pushes into the western portion of the forecast area. Still expecting this area of precipitation to progress from west to east across the area late this morning through this evening as the upper low moves to the NV/AZ border area. Snow levels should fall significantly this afternoon and evening and the current Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect. Most of southeast California and southern Nevada will see precipitation chances decrease significantly as the evening progresses but there is still a good possibility of decent precipitation across Mohave County and eastern Lincoln County through about midnight. Precipitation chances will linger overnight and into Wednesday across eastern Lincoln and northern Mohave Counties with dry conditions and warming temperatures elsewhere. .LONG TERM...Wednesday Night through Monday. A dry northwest flow will be over the area Wednesday night behind the exiting storm system. High pressure is then forecast over the region Thursday through Monday leading to dry conditions and above normal temperatures. This pattern will also result in some breezy north winds down the Colorado River, with the strongest winds expected on Saturday. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Shower activity will continue this morning until a lull between 17-19Z. Thereafter, a more pronounced band of precip is expected to move across the valley between 21-00Z this afternoon with more intense rainfall rates reducing vsbys to 3- 5SM at times. Continued OVC skies between 7-9 kft will prevail through much of today before CIGs increase by 07-09Z tonight. Fairly light winds are expected through the period. Some instability in the atmosphere may trigger a few claps of thunder and lightning this afternoon with the healthier precip band. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Scattered rain chances and fairly light winds will continue across the region. BKN-OVC skies with continue today and tomorrow with CIGs dropping down to 5-7 kft with increased precip chances. Current rain band will continue to bring light rain across NV/AZ sites this morning with a lull between 17-19Z. Thereafter, a more pronounced band of precip is expected to move across the region from west to east between 20-00Z this afternoon with more intense rainfall rates reducing vsbys to 3-5SM at times. Some instability across the CA/AZ broader may trigger a few claps of thunder and lightning this afternoon potentially impacting the Las Vegas Valley and river valley sites. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report impacts such as rainfall, snowfall, snow level, visibility, and any other local impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM/LONG TERM...Harrison AVIATION...Kryston For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:12 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Devil's Golf Course Road and Salt Creek Road were closed due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2018
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: 729174.