Thunderstorm Wind, Nye
- When
- July 11, 4:15 PM PST to 4:30 PM PST
- Where
- Nye County, 20.45 mi SW of Gold Reed
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 37.345, -116.569
Monsoon moisture slowly seeped into the region under the big dome of high pressure which was causing record-breaking temperatures, fueling isolated to scattered thunderstorms. As the moisture increased, the main thunderstorm impact transitioned from high winds to flash flooding.
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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.
Monsoon moisture slowly seeped into the region under the big dome of high pressure which was causing record-breaking temperatures, fueling isolated to scattered thunderstorms. As the moisture increased, the main thunderstorm impact transitioned from high winds to flash flooding.
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 Jul 11, 12:42 PM PST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 142 PM PDT Sun Jul 11 2021 .SYNOPSIS...Major heat wave will persist a couple more days before temperatures gradually ease through the week. Isolated storms forming over the high terrain will again be possible today, with coverage increasing Monday through Wednesday as deeper moisture moves into the region. Conditions will dry out by late in the week with typical mid-summer heat continuing. && .SHORT TERM...Through Tuesday. Heat through Tuesday: Dangerously hot temperatures will persist across the entire area through Monday. As we look into Tuesday, two factors look to be limiting the HeatRisk values across southeast Nevada, northwest Arizona and eastern San Bernardino County. The first is the additional injection of monsoon moisture into those area while the second is likely rain cooled air from the passage of showers and thunderstorms through the area Monday evening into Tuesday morning. With that said, the previous shift did extend the Excessive Heat Warning out through Tuesday evening for Nye, Esmeralda, Inyo and northwest San Bernardino County. Does not look like any spots will need to be extended into Wednesday, Thank Goodness. Storm chances through Tuesday: Outflow winds from last nights complex of storms over south central Arizona did push the monsoon moisture boundary further north and west into southern Nevada and eastern California today. This moisture in poised to push further northward into south central Nevada Monday before retreating back southward to areas generally along and southeast of I-15 Tuesday. As the area remains situated under the high center itself there are no defined features that really stand out in helping support organized convection. Therefore, convective initiation will occur over the higher terrain with outflow winds (cool pools) pushing development into the valleys during the late afternoon and evening hours. Convective allowing models sending a mixed message regarding storm chances for Clark County this evening. HRRR and HRW FV3 both show an area of storms moving south out of Lincoln County and through Clark County this evening. The 3 other members that make up the HREF indicate a lower probabilities of this scenario occuring. Did blend in the camPoPs to expand coverage of storms this evening to account for the possibility. It looks like a very similar scenario on Monday and Tuesday with storms moving from northwest to southeast out of south central Nevada through Clark County and the Lake Mead NRA during the evening and potentially lasting well into Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning through the lower Colorado River Valley and Mohave County. Gusty winds and locally heavy rain will be the primary concern with any storms that move into the deeper monsoon moisture across Clark, Mohave and eastern San Bernardino Counties the next few days. Further north across central Nevada where moisture values are not as great gusty winds and isolated dry lighting will be the primary concern. .LONG TERM...Wednesday through next Sunday. Heat will gradually moderate through the long term period and there should be no need for additional heat headlines. Meanwhile, Wednesday will continue to see elevated monsoonal moisture, with best storm chances favoring southern Nevada and Northwest Arizona. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty thunderstorm winds will be the main concerns through this period, though details in storm coverage and intensity remains a little unclear. Moisture appears fairly abundant, but forcing will be limited to daytime heating and terrain influences. By Thursday, high pressure ridge will flatten out with a more westerly flow kicking in aloft. This will tend to shift the deeper moisture eastward and focus any remaining storm chances into Northwest Arizona. The forecast thereafter remains fairly dry until the Four Corners high rebuilds sometime over the weekend or early next week. && .CLIMATE...Listed below are a few climate locations showing both the record high maximum and high minimum temperature for each location and the year the record was last set for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. LOCATION SUN-JULY 11 MON-JULY 12 (HIGH MAX) Record(year) Record(year) Las Vegas NV 116(1959) 114(2003) Bishop CA 107(2020) 108(2020) Barstow CA 115(2003) 115(2020) Needles CA 120(2020) 124(1925) Kingman AZ 110(1961) 111(2020) Desert Rock NV 110(2012) 111(2020) Death Valley CA 129(1913) 130(1913) LOCATION SUN-JULY 11 MON-JULY 12 (HIGH MIN) Record(year) Record(year) Las Vegas NV 91(2012) 94(2020) Bishop CA 70(2013) 69(1990) Barstow CA 85(2002) 87(2012) Needles CA 94(2012) 92(2019) Kingman AZ 81(1906) 83(1925) Desert Rock NV 81(1996) 81(2003) Death Valley CA 105(1920) 107(2012) && .AVIATION...For McCarran...An easterly wind will continue into the early evening hours. Forecast becomes much more complicated this evening between 03Z-06Z. There is the potential of storms moving north to south across the valley. Initial push of winds looks to come from the northeast but once storms enter the valley just covered the period with variable winds 20 kts gusts to 30 kts. Expecting southerly winds overnight into Monday morning. Can't be too specific in the details but it looks like a very similar situation could occur Monday evening. Extreme temperatures are expected again today and Monday, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees each morning by 9-10 AM and falling below in the 12-2 AM time frame. High temperatures will be near 116 today and 112 on Monday. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, and southeast California...Isolated thunderstorms possible across southeast California, southern Nevada and northwest Arizona this evening. Gusty surface winds primary concern for general aviation. Similar conditions expect for Monday with storms developing over the higher terrain then moving into the lower valleys in the late afternoon and evening hours. Potential of gusty winds and locally heavy rain. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...Pierce LONG TERM...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), 236 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:17 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds blew down multiple trees.
Valley of Fire Highway flooded just west of the park.
Tree limbs were damaged just east of the Strip, and 7500 customers lost power in North Las Vegas.
Lightning struck a tree, snapping it and throwing the top into power lines.
Flash flooding left a few feet of debris over the access road, damaged the headwalk from the shore to the docks, and damaged the sewage lift station.
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree into a road.
Highway 168 was closed from Interstate 15 to Highway 93 due to flooding.
Major flash flooding along a section of Highway 93 locally known as The Narrows closed the highway from Interstate 15 to Caliente for a day and a half so several feet of dirt could be cleared from the highway.
Landspout. Location: 37.690N 117.190W. A landspout was photographed in open desert east of Highway 95 south of Goldfield. The location and duration are estimated, and no damage occurred.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, July 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: 974611, 974613, 974615, 974616, 974617, 974618, 974619, 974622, 974623, 974626, 974629, 974632, 974635, 974637, 974639, 974642, 974645, 974651.