Scattered thunderstorms developed over the Mojave Desert in response to leftover heat plus a shortwave trough passing by. One storm produced damaging winds.
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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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed over the Mojave Desert in response to leftover heat plus a shortwave trough passing by. One storm produced damaging winds.
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 10, 3:40 PM PST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 440 PM PDT Sun May 10 2020 CORRECTED ONLY AVIATION SECTION .SYNOPSIS...Thunderstorm chances will end tonight with breezy to windy conditions developing across the area Monday. The weather will remain dry through the remainder of the week with gusty winds through at least mid week. Expect a downward trend in temperatures through Wednesday then a slow warmup heading into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION...this week. Ridging pushes east of the area on Monday as shortwave energy rounds the base of a low pressure system off the Oregon coast and moves inland over northern California. This will increase the southwesterly flow across our area and lead to increasing winds and slightly cooler temperatures. Forecast wind speeds for Monday stay below wind advisory criteria however with fairly widespread gusts of 30-40 mph forecast, fire weather will be a continuing concern as humidity levels are forecast to drop below 15 percent across this area. Along with the wind, temperatures will remain above normal but will be a little cooler than today and mark a downward trend that will bottom out Tuesday and Wednesday. The low remains centered off the PacNW coast through midweek with multiple shortwaves forecast to eject inland across the Great Basin. The enhances southwest flow will result in gusty winds each day. The airmass across our region will be more seasonal and temperatures are expected to be at or slightly below normal. The low pressure system that remains anchored off the PacNW coast through Wednesday, is forecast to move inland late in the week. Operational models are in decent agreement with this but the spread of solutions increase regarding how the pattern evolves as we approach the weekend. A warming trend per the NBM sends temperatures back above normal on Friday and over the weekend but confidence in this happening is low considering the ensemble spread. Over the weekend, models are in good agreement with strong low pressure and associated troughing setting up over the eastern Pacific. This could make for a windy weekend but on the bright side, keep temperatures from rising too far above normal. && .FIRE WEATHER...With thunderstorm activity winding down tonight, the threat from dry thunderstorms will end. An increasing southwest flow will lead to widespread windy conditions developing late Monday morning and continuing into Monday evening. The combination of strong gusty winds and low humidity will increase fire concerns once again. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for a large portion of southern Nevada and northwest Arizona for Monday due to expected gusts between 30-40 mph and RH below 15 percent. Dry, breezy conditions will continue through at least midweek but overall, wind speeds should be less than Monday. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Reduced confidence in the near term as thunderstorm activity south of Las Vegas may result in gusty outflow winds through the early evening. Thereafter, winds should favor south or southwesterly directions and remain that way through Monday morning. Winds will increase in the afternoon with gusts to 30 knots out of the south or southwest with mostly clear skies. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Breezy south or southwesterly winds expected for most of the TAF sites through this evening, with gusts in the 15-25 knot range. A few isolated thunderstorms may develop east of a KTPH to KEED line, with gusty surface winds possible. Winds will gradually ease tonight but return a little stronger tomorrow out of the south or southwest. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Strong microburst winds are possible across southern Nevada and Mohave County into the early evening. Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && DISCUSSION...Salmen AVIATION...Outler For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:13 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds capsized a 20 foot boat in Swallow Bay. All 12 people on board were rescued.
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, May 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: 892298.