Nevada, 2019

Excessive Heat and Heat in Nevada, June 11 to 14, 2019

June 11 to 14, 2019 · NWS VEF · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached over portions of Clark and Nye counties. Nine people died of heat related causes during and immediately after the excessive heat.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Floods
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  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
9
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.

Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached over portions of Clark and Nye counties. Nine people died of heat related causes during and immediately after the excessive heat.

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 Jun 11, 8:57 AM PST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 11, 8:57 AM PST, 3 hours 3 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
Issued by National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ
957 AM PDT Tue Jun 11 2019

.SYNOPSIS...High pressure will build over the area through the
middle of the week with the hottest temperatures so far this year
expected today through Thursday. A gradual cooling trend is forecast
for the weekend with temperatures pulling back to normal.
A slight chance for afternoon and evening showers or thunderstorms
exists for northern Inyo County and central Nevada Thursday through
Monday.

&&

.UPDATE...The current forecast remains in good shape. Look for
mainly clear skies across the area today except for a few high
thin clouds from around Bishop and Las Vegas southward. The heat
remains on track.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Through next Monday.

Mid-level ridge that began building over the Mojave Desert and Great
Basin yesterday will continue to do so today and Wednesday. H5
heights peak on Wednesday with the 594 dam contour encircling
southern California and the lower Colorado River Valley. A stream of
high clouds currently from southern California stretching southwest
into the Pacific may be the only hindrance of us reaching forecast
highs the next two days as they pass overhead. Even as heights start
to fall on Thursday with weak trough any slight drop in the
temperatures could be offset by better mixing. Made no change to the
Excessive Heat Warning at this time. But there remains some
potential that the warning could be extended into Thursday.

Cooler air aloft associated with the weak trough could initiate a
shower or thunderstorm over the higher terrain of northern Inyo
or Esmeralda County Wednesday afternoon/evening. There remains the
potential of isolated showers or thunderstorms in Inyo County and
south central Nevada each afternoon/evening Thursday through next
Monday. Temperatures return closer to seasonal normals Friday -
Monday.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Winds slated to increase from the south-southwest on
Thursday and Friday. Depending on how fuels cure in the coming week,
its possible that critical fire weather thresholds could start being
met.

&&

.AVIATION...For McCarran...VFR conditions expected through the
period. Weather concerns will be limited to temperatures rising
above 100 degrees, with density altitudes around 5500 ft in the
afternoon. Winds will remain under 8 kts through sunset and follow
typical diurnal patterns overnight.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...VFR conditions and winds generally less than 12 knots
can be expected across the region. Increasing temperatures may lead
to density altitude concerns at some sites today.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.

&&

DISCUSSION...Pierce/McCollum
AVIATION...Steele/Lynum
FIRE WEATHER...Steele/Lynum

For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:

http://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 excessive heat, 1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Western Clark/Southern Nye

When
June 11, 12:00 PM PST to June 13, 8:00 PM PST
Where
Western Clark/Southern Nye forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
37.129, -115.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for three days.

Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley

When
June 11, 12:00 PM PST to June 13, 8:00 PM PST
Where
Las Vegas Valley forecast zone
Deaths
5 direct, 3 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.215, -115.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for three days. Eight people died during and immediately following the excessive heat.

Excessive Heat, Lake Mead/Lake Mohave National Recreation Area

When
June 11, 12:00 PM PST to June 13, 8:00 PM PST
Where
Lake Mead/Lake Mohave National Recreation Area forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for three days.

Heat, Spring Mountains

When
June 14, 12:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where
Spring Mountains forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
37.129, -115.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One person died in the Spring Mountains of heat related causes.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1149MaleOutside/Open AreasIndirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1253MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1246MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1243MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1374FemaleOutside/Open AreasIndirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1347MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1353MaleUnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley2019-06-1481MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Spring Mountains2019-06-1452MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.
Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nevada in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, June 2019

Sources

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: 836621, 836622, 836623, 836624.