A low pressure system and associated cold front brought isolated high winds to southern Nevada.
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The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.
A low pressure system and associated cold front brought isolated high winds to southern Nevada.
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 Oct 9, 8:34 PM PST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
934 PM PDT Wed Oct 9 2019
.SYNOPSIS...A cold front will continue to push through our region
tonight and into Thursday with gusty north winds and colder air in
its wake. Winds will gradually subside and temperatures will begin
to warm back up to near normal this weekend and into next week.
&&
.EVENING UPDATE...
Fropa ensues for the Las Vegas Valley in the last hour. TLAS/KESX
and area observations all show a healthy northerly wind push with
the front just south of Willow Beach to Jean as of 915PM. Seeing
gusts topping out around 40 mph with the initial fropa and post-
frontal winds in the 25-35 mph range upstream. Timing has been
overall quite good in the HRRR and other hi-res guidance but
forecast grids were a bit too quick so re-populated to slow the
front by about an hour for the remainder of the CWA. Temperatures
ranged by about 15-20 degrees from downtown Las Vegas to Indian
Springs so the cooler air is definitely on the way. Made some
adjustments to the Min T grid as well with the latest CONSshort and
some hi-res influence but the changes weren't major. Did briefly
consider an upgrade to a High Wind Warning for parts of the Colorado
River Valley and southeastern San Bern as wind gusts could hit 58
mph at times but latest updates show this to be a very isolated
possibility rather than a widespread threat across those areas.
Thus, left the advisory as is and will monitor obs as the front
continues to push south.
.DISCUSSION...Today through next Wednesday.
Little change to the forecast this afternoon as the aforementioned
cold front pushes through our forecast area today and tonight.
Northerly gusts in excess of 35 mph as well as a temperature drop
have already been noted in some of our northern zones of south-
central Nevada as we watch it push southward. Timing looks to be a
tad delayed, though still looking at an evening arrival of impactful
gusts for the Las Vegas Valley around 02-03Z (7-8 pm PDT) and a near-
midnight arrival for the Colorado River Valley. Pre-frontal winds
with gusts 15-25 mph are anticipated through the remainder of the
day today area-wide, though the primary impacts will be post-
frontal. Wind gusts will be strongest immediately following the
frontal passage with many areas seeing 35-45 mph gusts (with
isolated higher amounts in the higher terrain) for the first few
hours. The strongest wind gusts are still expected to be down the
Colorado River Valley through the overnight period. Wind Advisories
have been issued to reflect these winds for southern Nevada and
southwestern California through 00z (5pm PDT) Thursday and for the
Colorado River Valley through 18z (11am PDT) Friday.
Along with gusty wind conditions, a stark drop in temperatures is
expected with a 15-20 degree drop between today's high temperature
and tomorrow's. Forecast high temperature Thursday for McCarran
International Airport is in the upper 60s.
Winds will begin to decrease through the day on Friday and
temperatures will begin to warm back up to near-normal through the
weekend and into the start of the work week as a weak ridge sets up
over the Desert Southwest.
Forecast confidence is low going into next week, though watching the
potential for another potent trough dipping down by mid-to-late
week. Conditions are expected to remain dry with temperatures close
to normal.
&&
.AVIATION...For McCarran...Northerly winds with gusts to 30 knots
will continue overnight and linger into Thursday. Winds may
occasionally oscillate between due north and more northeasterly
directions. Outside of the winds, no impactful weather is expected
with clear skies and dry conditions expected. It will cool off for
Thursday, with highs about 15 degrees cooler than today.
For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...A strong cold front will continue to push south
tonight, with winds becoming north and increasing behind the front.
Widespread gusty winds are expected tonight, with gusts 25 to 35kts
in many locations. Enhanced north winds down the Colorado River
Valley may gust over 40kts at times into Thursday morning. Gusty
winds will continue on Thursday, but should slowly diminish through
the day. Dry conditions with just a few high clouds passing overhead
are expected through the period.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Strong north winds and low relative humidity will
develop over southern Nevada and surrounding states this afternoon
through Thursday behind a fast moving dry cold front. This will lead
to critical fire weather conditions for parts of the region, though
high temperatures will fall about 20 degrees between today and
Thursday. The strongest winds can be expected along the Colorado
River Valley, especially between Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu where
gusts of 45 to 55 mph are possible. Minimum RH values will remain
below 15 percent across the region with little night time relief. As
a result, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for all of the southern
NV zones including zones 460, 461, 462, 463, 464 and 465, as well as
the Lower Colorado River Valley which includes AZ 101, NV 466 and CA
229. The Red Flag Warning will be in effect through 5PM Thursday for
southern NV zones. Winds are expected to remain elevated down the
Colorado River Valley through Friday morning where the Red Flag
Warning will be in effect through 11AM Friday.
&&
.CLIMATE...Below are climate sites and their current record low
maximums and record low minimums for 10/10 and 10/11. Some of
these records may be in jeopardy Thursday and Friday behind a
potent cold front.
Record: Low Max(Year Set)/Low Min(Year Set)
Thu 10/10 Fri 10/11
Las Vegas 64(1960)/40(1961) 60(2008)/43(1961)
Bishop 51(1960)/23(1912) 49(2008)/24(1912)
Needles 73(2013)/47(1961) 71(2008)/50(1961)
Kingman 57(2013)/29(1924) 57(1925)/32(1924)
Death Valley 70(1960)/40(1924) 71(1920)/32(1924)
Daggett/Barstow 70(1960)/42(2017) 63(2008)/44(2008)
Desert Rock 62(2013)/43(2011) 54(2008)/40(2008)
&&
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.
&&
UPDATE...TB3
DISCUSSION...Varian
AVIATION...Outler/Wolf
CLIMATE...Kryston
For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:
https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and TwitterThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Gusts over 58 mph were recorded for three hours at Area 12 Camp in the Nevada National Security Site. The peak gust was 61 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, October 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: 867611.