Strong high pressure led to widespread Excessive Heat Warning conditions over the Mojave Desert.
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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.
Strong high pressure led to widespread Excessive Heat Warning conditions over the Mojave Desert.
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 3, 8:45 AM PST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 945 AM PDT Wed Jun 3 2020 .SYNOPSIS...The clash of an area of low pressure off the Pacific Coast with a ridge of high pressure building from our east will provide us with well above average temperatures as well as isolated showers and thunderstorms, predominantly over the higher terrain, through Friday. As we approach the weekend and head into next week, a potent trough will dig through the Western CONUS, bringing with it much cooler temperatures and windy conditions. && .UPDATE... A few light showers/virga continues to stream north across areas generally east of Las Vegas this morning in association with a weak disturbance. There had been a couple of lightning strikes earlier this morning, but none have been recorded in the past couple of hours. Through the remainder of the morning we are not expecting to see any increase in both shower or thunderstorm activity. However, we should see at least a few isolated thunderstorms develop this afternoon mainly over the higher terrain as instability increases over the eastern half of the area. Very little rainfall expected. No significant changes needed to the forecast. && PREV DISCUSSION 310 AM PDT Wed Jun 3 2020 .SHORT TERM...Today through Friday. As a closed area of low pressure continues to spin off of the California coast, a southerly flow aloft has set up over the Desert Southwest. As a result, a weak disturbance has allowed some upper level moisture to advect northward into our area last night and into this morning. Due to the dry low levels, this moisture materialized predominantly in the form of sprinkles and virga showers over the Colorado River Valley. These light radar returns are expected to continue through the remainder of the morning along the Colorado River Valley and in portions of eastern San Bernardino County. Through the afternoon, this dry shower potential continues largely over the higher terrain as the moisture continues to advect northward through southern Nevada and into Inyo County. Once the sun sets, precipitation chances are expected to diminish greatly. Sporadic gusty winds associated with downdrafts - as well as isolated lightning strikes - can be expected through the day today. Conditions on Thursday will dry out, though as we prepare for the approach of the closed upper-level low off the coast, shower and thunderstorm chances will return on Friday, predominantly across the Sierra and portions of the southern Great Basin. As mentioned in the previous discussion, the bulk of the instability looks to remain north of the Las Vegas Valley, though a light shower or isolated bought of sprinkles is not out of the question, with higher chances of precipitation over the Clark County mountains. Excessive Heat Warning looks to be in good shape, and is queued to extend from this morning through Thursday afternoon for the Colorado River Valley and Death Valley. Additionally, the lower elevations of Clark County and southern Nye County will be included in the Warning Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon. Forecast temperatures seem to have settled, as over the course of last week, we saw them increasing with each updated model run. That said, Thursday remains the hottest day in the forecast, with afternoon highs expected to reach temperatures 10-15 degrees above seasonal averages. Though the heat on Friday is not expected to remain "excessive", temperatures will still range 5-10 degrees above average, so precautions for vulnerable populations remains recommended to end out the work week. .LONG TERM...Saturday through Tuesday. The closed low, which will have weakened into an open wave by early Saturday, will quickly move off to the northeast on the eastern extent of a large Pacific trough digging down the West Coast. Showers and afternoon storms will continue to be possible across the southern Great Basin with moisture and lift still in place for Saturday. As the large Pacific trough continues to strengthen southward across the Desert Southwest throughout the weekend, southwest winds will continue to be elevated - especially across the Mojave Desert and Sierra Nevada. Current ensemble model trends have deepened this trough over the past couple of runs. If this trend continues, then increasing wind speeds will be possible. Fire weather doesn't look too concerning for Saturday right now, with lingering moisture in the low levels keeping RH values above critical levels. However, drier conditions look to settle back in for Sunday, which, if the wind trend continues as mentioned above, then fire weather could be a concern. Also, a result of the deeper system will be cooler temperatures from previously forecast through Monday. After Monday, the trough axis looks to push east of the area and temps begin a warming trend as heights begin to rise. && .CLIMATE....A brief increase in temperatures this week may jeopardize a few maximum temperature records today and tomorrow; most records were set by a heat wave back in 2016. Here is the forecast temperature/record high temperature (most recent year of occurrence) for a few notable locations. LOCATIONS: Today, June 3 Tomorrow, June 4 - Las Vegas 104/107(2016) 107/109(2016) - Kingman 101/103(2016) 101/108(2016) - Needles 112/116(2016) 112/118(2016) - Death Valley NP 116/120(1996) 117/122(1996) && .AVIATION...For McCarran...A weather disturbance lifting over southern Nevada today will produce some virga or a few light showers around the terminal area this morning with cloud bases of 12-14 kft. Showers will be possible over the Spring Mountains this afternoon and an isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out. Skies will clear late this evening and overnight. Though confidence is low, outflow from nearby showers could impact the terminal. Barring possible outflow influences, prevailing winds will be light with south- southwest components today through tonight. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...A weather disturbance lifting northward over southeast California and southern Nevada today will produce scattered light showers and isolated thunderstorms. This will lead to at least a slight chance of showers (most likely virga) at each TAF site. Confidence is a bit higher in t-storms developing in the southern Sierra this afternoon. Those storms may send outflow toward KBIH from the west and/or south. Barring influences from showers, prevailing winds across most of the region will be from the south- southwest generally less than 15 knots. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && UPDATE...Gorelow SHORT TERM...Varian LONG TERM...Guillet AVIATION...Adair For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for two straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for one day.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for one day.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached for one day.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, June 2020
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: 892404, 892405, 892406, 892407.