A cold low pressure system brought locally heavy snow to the southern Great Basin.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A cold low pressure system brought locally heavy snow to the southern Great Basin.
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 19, 7:02 PM PST, 4 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 702 PM PST Fri Jan 19 2018 .SYNOPSIS...A Pacific storm system will move across the area tonight and Saturday bringing a chance of rain and mountain snow to portions of the area to go along with the gusty winds. The heaviest snow is expected in Lincoln County above 5000 feet with lighter amounts in Esmeralda County, central Nye County and the Spring Mountains. A dusting to light accumulations of snow are possible Saturday in the lower elevations between 3000 and 5000 feet. In addition, expect much cooler temperatures over the weekend before temperatures slowly moderate early next week. && .UPDATE...Latest HRRR, HRRRX, NAM12 and 18z GFS, as well as radar, not supporting precipitation spreading down south as far as inherited forecast indicated for this evening and only a small chance of any development over the Spring Mountains. I updated to lower pops in the Spring Mountains and to delay onset of precipitation across southern portions of Nye and Lincoln Counties and northern Mohave County until the 06z-12z time frame. -Harrison- && .PREV DISCUSSION... 251 PM PST Fri Jan 19 2018 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday night. A trough of low pressure over the eastern Pacific is forecast to move through the area tonight and Saturday before exiting to the east Saturday night into Sunday. An associated cold front is expected to slide south through the region overnight and turn winds to the north, ushering in much cooler air. Gusty northerly winds are forecast for much of Saturday with temperatures 15-20 degrees cooler than today. Precipitation is expected to develop over the far northern CWA this evening and also in the Spring Mountains. Heavy snow is expected in Lincoln County coincident with the arrival of the cold front and associated colder airmass. Snow levels starting higher than 7000 feet this evening will plummet to around 4000 feet by daybreak on Saturday bringing snow to the valley floors of Lincoln County and impacting Highways 93 and 319. A Winter Storm Warning will go into effect for the overnight hours tonight and continue through noon Saturday with 4 to 7 inches expected. Higher amounts up to a foot are possible in the higher elevations. A Winter Weather Advisory will be in for the same time period in Esmeralda and central Nye counties where 3 to 5 inches are forecast through noon Saturday. 2 to 4 inches are possible in the Spring Mountains generally above 6000 feet. The best window of opportunity for snow accumulation is 8 pm to midnight this evening ahead of the low with mainly light snow showers expected on Saturday underneath and behind the low. Dry and cool weather is forecast for Sunday under a northwest flow aloft. .LONG TERM...Monday through Thursday...Unchanged. Two storm systems are expected to affect the region during this period as progressive westerly flow continues. First weak system will pass by Monday, with most precip chances remaining north of our CWA. Flat ridging is expected Tuesday, then the flow will start to buckle more southwesterly Wednesday ahead of the next, stronger system for Wednesday night and Thursday. At this time, it appears that precip chances will be limited to the southern Great Basin, with gusty winds for the Mojave Desert. Temperatures should be within a few degrees of late January normals, with Thursday likely to be the warmest day due to increasing winds and mixing ahead of the incoming storm system. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Breezy, south southwesterly winds between 15-20 knots gusting around 25 knots will continue through this evening. Gusts will become more intermittent after sunset with speeds between 10-15 knots shifting closer to 210-250 degrees overnight. Scattered clouds between 6K-8K ft will be possible late tonight through early Saturday morning, becoming BKN at times as frontal boundary approaches. Winds begin shifting west to northwest between 15z-18z Saturday becoming gusty out of the northwest for the remainder of the period. Post frontal winds should remain between 15- 20 knots with gusts again around 25 knots. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California....Breezy, south to southwest winds are expected today and tonight as a cold front pushes through the area from the northwest later this afternoon through tomorrow; shifting winds to the northwest in its wake. Prefrontal winds this afternoon could reach speeds of 15-25 knots gusting 20-35 knots followed by lesser winds across the area overnight. Post frontal winds will reach similar speeds on Saturday. SCT-BKN mid and high clouds will continue to stream across the area with periods of lower cigs between 6k-9k ft primarily in areas north of the Mojave Desert. Snow and rain should remain isolated across the area tonight and tomorrow but could be in the vicinity of BIH through tomorrow morning and the remaining terminals on Saturday. With limited coverage of precipitation have not included in 18z TAF package. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...A storm system will bring gusty winds and increase precipitation across the northern counties this weekend. Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Salmen AVIATION...Guillet LONG TERM...Morgan 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.
1 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to five inches of snow fell in Esmeralda County. Numerous vehicles slid off icy roads.
Eight inches of snow fell on Highway 93 at Oak Springs Summit.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, 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: 729205, 729207.