A hot and unstable airmass led to development of a damaging dust devil.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 LKN wrote it up.
A hot and unstable airmass led to development of a damaging dust devil.
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 Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 2:24 AM PST, 10 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Elko NV 324 AM PDT Wed Jul 4 2018 .SYNOPSIS...4th of July will be dry, hot and breezy, especially for the lower valleys in eastern and central Nevada. For the rest of the week, hot and dry weather will continue into the weekend. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Friday. Hot, dry, and breezy across the entire reigon. Gusty winds to 35 mph will be possible across central Nevada, with gusts to 45 mph at passes/summits in northern Nye County. Coverage not enough for a wind adv. There could be an isolated dry thunderstorms for extreme northern NV...see fire weather discussion for more details. Thursday and Friday will be breezy with hot and dry conditions. .LONG TERM...Friday night through Wednesday. Broad SW flow will dominate the region through the extended as a strong ridge of high pressure wobbles around the central Rockies. Overtime, moisture will begin to creep northward around the western periphery of the high. Therefore, maintained and slightly increased pops for central and eastern Nevada beginning Sunday and lasting into next week. Confidence is marginal at this time, but trends appear promising that moisture is on its way. && .AVIATION...VFR expected at all TAF sites. Gusty southerly winds will be common at all TAF sites with the exception of KWMC/KBAM. Gusts to 35-40 mph will be possible at KTPH. && .FIRE WEATHER...Conditions will be just below critical levels for FWZs 455, 457, southern portions of 454 and 470 for gusty southerly winds and low RH. In fact, some locations will see RHs dip into the 4%-8% range this afternoon. Localized critical levels will be possible for FWZ 457, especially in the higher elevations. Winds will diminish through the evening. A very isolated dry thunderstorm is possible this afternoon with lingering moisture over Jarbidge, Pennsylvania Hills, Independence, and BulL Run mountains, but confidence is low. There will be at least cumulus buildups and some towering cumulus. For the rest of the week, fire weather remains elevated with hot, dry, and breezy winds. && .LKN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && 94/94/94/94
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust devil. Local standard time, as filed.
A strong dust devil was observed picking up an anchored shed and tossing it over 50 yards. The shed was destroyed.
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, July 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: 763695.