A severe long-duration heat wave covered much of the southwest US for ten days (this episode continues under July 19-23 Excessive Heat). A total of 13 people died of heat-related causes in Clark County during the heat wave.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
A severe long-duration heat wave covered much of the southwest US for ten days (this episode continues under July 19-23 Excessive Heat). A total of 13 people died of heat-related causes in Clark County during the heat wave.
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 14, 12:58 AM PST, 10 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 158 AM PDT Fri Jul 14 2023 .SYNOPSIS...Building heat wave into early next week, bringing dangerously hot temperatures to the area. High temperature records may be challenged and little relief is expected overnight, especially in urban areas. These conditions are hazardous to anyone without adequate cooling or hydration. Winds further subside on Thursday besides the usual afternoon breezes. Heat subsides a bit towards the middle of next week, but moisture may finally be arriving to increase the chance for monsoon activity at least for parts of Arizona. && .SHORT TERM...Through through Sunday. Clear skies across the area this morning with any debris clouds from yesterday's convection confined to southeast Arizona and northern Mexico. Compared to 1 am last night, temperatures running several degrees cooler in part due to drier air. Surface dewpoints mostly in the 20s around Las Vegas down as much as 20-26 degrees. We've been talking about this building heat wave for a week now, and now the most intense period is beginning. Strong high center with H5 heights 597+ will be positioned over California/southern Nevada today. That 597+ contour will stay over the southern Great Basin and Mojave Desert leading to the hottest temperatures Sunday. Those living within Las Vegas and the Mojave Desert will feel little relief at night as lows in the 90s are forecast, and Death Valley may not fall below 100 degrees. No change was made to our current heat products that run through Tuesday for Mojave Desert locales. .LONG TERM...Next Week. Moisture is progged to spread into the region beginning as early as Sunday evening from the west and southwest. PWAT values in the Grand Ensemble members all notably increase Monday and Tuesday, with a mean of around 1" at KLAS by Tuesday afternoon. At the moment, NBM PoP is increasing for KIGM and areas east in Mohave county, but dewpoints will be rising into the 50s and possibly low 60s in the CRV so would not be surprised to see PoPs increase farther west. The most robust solution for farther west PoPs Tuesday is the deterministic GEM (Canadian) but overall GE probabilities don't include areas west of the CRV until the 90th percentile. So for now, left the grids alone, but that may change as we get closer, and especially if a signal for PoPs is seen in the CAMS. All of this occurs while the ridge bringing us the record temperatures shifts eastward and positions itself to a more monsoonal position over the 4 corners. So we will have both the increased moisture and favorable high position by mid-week next week and little change in the synoptic pattern through the rest of the week. So it indeed looks like the Monsoon may be finally arriving for the Desert Southwest. CPC shows above normal precip for Arizona in both the 6-10 and 8-14 day outlooks. && .CLIMATE... Daily Temperature Records: *Record High (Most Recent Year of Occurrence)* CITY |Fri (7/14)|Sat (7/15)|Sun (7/16)|Mon (7/17) ------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| Las Vegas |116 (1972)|114 (2017)|116 (1998)|116 (2005) ------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| Kingman |110 (1972)|110 (1911)|110 (1998)|113 (2005) ------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| Needles |121 (2003)|121 (2006)|125 (1925)|125 (2005) ------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| Daggett |117 (1972)|114 (2006)|116 (1998)|117 (1998) ------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| Bishop |108 (1972)|109 (1972)|109 (1972)|107 (2006) ------------|----------|----------|----------|----------| Death Valley|128 (1972)|128 (1972)|127 (2005)|127 (2006) For Las Vegas: All-time record high: 117 (2021, 2017, 2013, 2005, 1942) All-time record warm low: 95 (2013, 2005) Consecutive days above 110: 10 days (1961) Consecutive days above 115: 4 days (2005) && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...South-southwest winds up to 8 knots through sunrise then light and variable. Expect a east-southeast component generally 5-8 knots developing this afternoon through sunset. No operationally significant clouds expected. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...South-southwest winds around 10 knots or less across the region today. No operationally significant clouds expected. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Pierce LONG TERM...TB3 AVIATION...Salmen CLIMATE...Woods 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.
7 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event continued through July 23rd. Three people died of heat-related causes; one during this period and two during the 19th-23rd period.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event continued through July 23rd.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event continued through July 23rd. Ten people died of heat-related causes; five during this period and five during the 19th-23rd period.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event continued through July 23rd.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event continued through July 23rd.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excessive Heat, Northeast Clark | 2023-07-15 | 84 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-18 | 32 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-16 | 87 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-17 | 70 | Male | Permanent Home | Indirect |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-17 | 93 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-17 | 83 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, July 2023
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: 1119284, 1119285, 1119287, 1119288, 1119289, 1119282, 1119283.