The Desert Southwest saw its first strong low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska this season, which brought very strong winds to much of the region.
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.
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.
The Desert Southwest saw its first strong low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska this season, which brought very strong winds to much of the region.
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 11, 8:39 AM PST, 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 939 AM PDT Mon Oct 11 2021 .SYNOPSIS...Powerful storm system will drop into the Great Basin today and spread high winds across much of the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin. Widespread areas of blowing dust are also likely. The first accumulations of mountain snow are expected in Lincoln county as well as the Spring Mountains today and tonight. Much cooler air will follow for Tuesday and Wednesday before temperatures gradually moderate heading into the weekend. && .UPDATE...No update needed this morning. Potent upper low digging into northwest Nevada this morning ushering in the first taste of Winter with a mix of rain/snow occurring in the valleys from Reno east to Fallon and Hawthorne. For the southern Great Basin/Mojave Desert wind already on the increase and gusting in excess of 45 mph along the eastern Sierra slopes of Inyo County and northwest San Bernardino County. Those winds will only strengthen throughout the day into the evening as cold front sweeps southeast across southern Nevada and Inyo County. Cold front looks to reach Las Vegas between 5 and 6 pm this afternoon. Our messaging has been on point highlighting that this will be a significant wind event. Much colder air filtering in behind the cold front will allow for a mix of rain/snow tonight at elevations down to about 3000-3500 in southern Nevada and northwest Arizona. First significant accumulations of several inches possible for Lincoln County, Spring Mtns. and Sheep Range above 5000 feet. && .SHORT TERM...through Tuesday night. It's the calm before the storm at the moment but changes are afoot with this mornings satellite imagery depicting a vigorous shortwave beginning to dig south into Northern California en route to the central Great Basin later today. This inside slider will be the impetus to widespread and potentially high impact weather across the region today and tonight. As pressure gradients tighten in the morning hours, winds will be ramping up in two primary areas. The first will be across the prefrontal southwesterly wind belt that will stretch from the Western Mojave Desert near Barstow eastward into far southern Nevada and Northwest Arizona. The second will be along and behind the southward advancing cold front. Widespread wind gusts of 40-60 mph are expected in these areas, with significant blowing dust and sand likely as well. Strongest winds gusts are expected in the Western Mojave Desert, Inyo County, and the US-95 corridor between Las Vegas and Tonopah, where widespread 55-60 mph gusts are expected with localized gusts of 60 to 70 mph possible. If you haven't already, secure any loose or unsecured outdoor decor or furniture ahead of the incoming wind storm. In addition to the winds, light precipitation is expected to develop along the cold front this evening and become more organized overnight across Lincoln and northern Mohave Counties, as well in the Spring Mountains. With heights falling 20-25dm between now and tonight, snow levels will be crashing quickly with light snow accumulations of 1-4 inches possible in the above mentioned areas by Tuesday morning. The winter weather advisory for these areas looks good. Colder air will invade the region Tuesday with high temperatures topping out 15 to 25 degrees below normal Tuesday afternoon. The first freezes of the season may also end the growing season in most of Lincoln and northern Mohave counties. The forecast low of 51 on Tuesday morning in Las VEgas would be the coldest since April 1st of this year, with even cooler morning lows to follow later in the week. .LONG TERM...Wednesday through Monday. Another reinforcing shortwave trough will drag into the intermountain region on Wednesday, keeping heights below normal under a broad western conus trough pattern. This will keep temperatures very fall like with afternoon high temperatures remaining 12-18 degrees below average for mid-October. Morning lows Wednesday and Thursday will remain quite cool, with this spell of cold temperatures likely the coolest mornings since late March/early April for most of the region. Heights will begin to build late in the week as high pressure ramps up along the West Coast Thursday and Friday. This will induce a slow climb back closer to normal temperatures by the weekend, though highs will tend to top out on the cooler side of average until at least Sunday. && .AVIATION...For McCarran...Light winds through the rest of the night with aviation impacts expected to ramp up quickly later this morning. Gusty southwest winds are expected after 15Z with gusts over 25KT likely before increasing this afternoon to around 35KT. A cold front is expected to pass through the air terminal around 00Z this afternoon, with winds quickly switching to the northwest. Strong winds are likely behind the front with gusts over 40KT likely and the potential for gusts up to 50KT or higher. Confidence is high enough in gusts reaching or exceeding the AWW threshold of 48KT gusts or higher with the frontal passage that an AWW will be issued with the 12z TAF package. Blowing dust associated with the strongest period of winds may reduce visibilities at times. Expect winds to remain out of the northwest tonight and slowly diminish through Tuesday morning. Another potential impact to operations with this system will be an increase in shower chances and associated lower ceilings. The best chance for rain is forecast in the 00Z-06Z Tuesday time period, although showers could linger into Tuesday morning. CIGs around 6k feet will be possible with any showers that move over the terminal, but CIGs otherwise are expected to be between 8-10k feet late this afternoon and overnight. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Light diurnal winds are expected through the remainder of the night but significant changes are expected area-wide later this morning as a strong low pressure system moves through the region. Strong winds, scattered precipitation, and lower CIGs are all possible. West to southwest winds are expected ahead of a cold front that will sweep north to south through the area today, switching winds to the northwest behind the front. Pre-frontal southwest gusts will generally be in the 25-35KT range with the post- frontal northwest gust potential up to 50KT in some locations. BIH could possibly see a brief period of strong west winds as the front approaches but the gusty north winds behind the front will be of much longer duration beginning by 18Z this morning. Expect areas of blowing dust which may reduce visibilities at times. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Widespread high winds are expected today along with mountain snow. Reports of high wind gusts, wind damage, blowing dust resulting in visibility reduction, or accumulating snowfall are encouraged. && UPDATE...Pierce DISCUSSION...Outler AVIATION...Salmen 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.
3 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The peak gust was measured 13 mi SSE of Haiwee. Three big rigs were blown over on and near Highway 395.
The peak gust was measured at the Barstow-Daggett Airport (KDAG).
A palm tree was blown onto the Furnace Creek Visitors Center, and metal roofing was blown off a residence near Furnace Creek.
This gust was measured at the Needles Airport (KEED).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 2021
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: 989156, 989157, 989158, 989159.