An unseasonably strong Pacific storm system brought severe downslope winds to the Owens Valley, locally high winds to the Mojave Desert, and isolated flash flooding to Death Valley.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 unseasonably strong Pacific storm system brought severe downslope winds to the Owens Valley, locally high winds to the Mojave Desert, and isolated flash flooding to Death Valley.
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 May 16, 8:56 AM PST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 956 AM PDT Thu May 16 2019 .SYNOPSIS...An abnormally strong Pacific storm will move into the region today, bringing gusty winds, chances for showers and thunderstorms, and sharply cooler temperatures. After a brief warmup Saturday, another storm system will affect the region Sunday into Monday. && .UPDATE...Tweaked PoP, sky, and QPF grids to account for recent trends. Not much changes made, but did increase rain amounts in the Owens Valley in line with observations. Initial line of showers currently pushing into Clark and Nye counties, will probably result in mostly virga. If breaks in the clouds allow some peaks of sunshine, especially to the south, better showers and storms may develop later this afternoon from Las Vegas and areas north. && .DISCUSSION...through Wednesday Abnormally deep, cold upper low for mid-May is spinning off the northwest California coast this morning. Swath of rain/high elevation snow extends from Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties northward into western Nevada. Models consistent showing compact impulse moving through base of trough into southern California late morning. Feature will then lift quickly northeast through southern Nevada late afternoon. HRRR/HREF spread the rain/high elevation snow eastward into the western Mojave Desert, Inyo, Nye, and Esmeralda Counties throughout the morning. By afternoon, line of showers and embedded thunderstorms preceding the cold front will affect Clark, Lincoln and the northern two-thirds of Mohave County. The line will finally exit eastern Lincoln and northern Mohave Counties during the evening. Other hazard today will be the wind. Strongest pre-frontal winds still look to occur across Mohave County, excluding the CO River Valley. So added the area north of the Colorado River into the wind advisory. MOS guidance as well as hi-res output suggests a window of gusty post-frontal winds within parts of Inyo, San Bernardino, Nye and Clark Counties this afternoon. Again, expanded on the advisory to include Las Vegas Valley, Spring Mtns, southern Nye, southern Inyo and the Owens Valley. Around Las Vegas, strongest winds will occur across the western and southern valley. Temperatures will be dramatically colder today, in fact not much warmer than the current temp. Trough lingers across southeast Nevada/southwest Utah on Friday keeping the threat for scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms primarily in Lincoln County. But, can not rule out seeing a shower as far south as the Sheep Range and Spring Mountains. Not as windy Friday, except for the western Mojave Desert were sub-advisory west winds continue. Temperatures stay well below normal. Ridge traversing the Intermountain West on Saturday will lead to dry weather, lighter winds and warmer temperatures. I use warmer loosely as temperatures will still by about 8 degrees below normal. Sunday-Wednesday. Mean trough progged to stay entrenched across the Intermountain West during the period. Chances of showers and thunderstorms along with winds return Sunday and Monday. There looks to be a break Tuesday before another trough settles in over the Western States the second half of next week. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Expecting gusty southwest winds to develop again today, which should be slightly stronger than yesterday's winds. Gusts will develop around 15-16Z and slowly increase through the afternoon, with gusts over 25kts possible after 18Z. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will push through after midday, but they should be light and quickly will move away by 00Z. Occasional lower ceilings around 5000ft are possible with the precipitation. In the wake of the rain, there is the potential for a quick uptick in southwest to west winds, with gusts over 30kts possible between 00Z-03Z. After that, winds will slowly decrease through the night and should become light and variable by early Friday morning. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Southwest winds will increase again today across the area, with gusts 25-30kts possible. Stronger gusts to 40kts possible near DAG. An area of scattered showers and thunderstorms should move through parts of the region today. Best chances for precipitation will be near BIH, where lower visibility and ceilings to 3000kt are possible through around midday with heavier rain. A brief period of gusts to 35-40 knots may be possible behind the precip at BIH as well, mainly between 21Z-00Z. Elsewhere, precipitation should be more scattered and light in nature, with ceilings possibly dropping t0 8-10kft at times. Wind should subside overnight in most locations, except in DAG where west winds will remain gusty through the night. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...A late-season system will bring gusty winds, cooler temperatures, mountain snow, and shower and thunderstorm chances to the region today. Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && UPDATE.......Steele DISCUSSION...Pierce AVIATION.....Wolf 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), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:27 UTC.
2 high wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The high winds were measured 4 miles NW of Independence. One big rig was blown over on Highway 395, prompting closure of the highway.
These gusts were measured at the Twentynine Palms (KNXP) ASOS. Visibility also went down to a half mile in blowing dust.
North Highway in Death Valley National Park was flooded in several places between mile markers 26 and 29, with debris a foot deep.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in California, May 2019
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: 814717, 814718, 814719.