A severe long-duration heat wave covered much of the southwest US for ten days (this episode begins under July 14-18 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 begins under July 14-18 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 18, 11:28 PM PST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 1228 AM PDT Wed Jul 19 2023 .SYNOPSIS...Excessive heat will be the main story through the weekend as well above normal temperatures continue. Thunderstorm chances will be limited to the southern Great Basin today, and dry weather is expected for nearly the entire region Thursday and Friday. A modest moisture push may bring renewed thunderstorm chances, especially to Northwest Arizona, for the weekend and early next week. && .SHORT TERM...through tonight. Midnight satellite loop showed clear skies over the Mojave Desert. Over the southern Great Basin, southward-pushing outflow was evident from central Inyo through southern Lincoln counties, originating from since-decayed thunderstorms. Surface obs showed temperatures a few degrees lower than 24 hours ago, but still hot for midnight. Dewpoints were a few degrees lower over the Mojave Desert, and a few degrees higher in the outflow-modified air over the southern Great Basin. Winds were generally under 20 mph areawide. The main concerns today remain heat and thunderstorms. No signs of the long-duration heat wave ending in the Mojave Desert, so the Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect. For thunderstorms, the high resolution models did quite well yesterday, and paint the best chances this afternoon along and north of a line from Death Valley through Panaca. Heavy rain will again be more likely in the mountains, and strong winds in the lower elevations. .LONG TERM...Thursday through Tuesday. Excessive heat will continue to dominate the forecast for the remainder of the upcoming week and into the weekend. This extended heat wave is thanks to a large and anomalous ridge that remains parked across the greater Southwestern US region, and will migrate back to nearly overhead by Friday and Saturday. This means no end to the 110+ degree stretch of temperatures in Las Vegas, or the 120+ degree temps in Death Valley. The cumulative effect of the extreme heat day after day can be quite dangerous and continued safety precautions are urged during this spell of unusually persistent hot weather. Stay hydrated, limit time outdoors, and never leave pets or children unattended in hot vehicles. Temperature are likely to remain above normal even beyond the weekend, though increasing moisture may begin a gradual cooling towards more typical mid-summer heat by Monday onward. While the increasing moisture arriving Sunday into Monday may offset the actual temperatures a few degrees, the added moisture will add a level of 'stickiness' to the air which can be just as exhausting. With the return of some greater surface moisture, thunderstorm chances will tick back upward across Northwest Arizona and perhaps the eastern Mojave Desert by early next week. The overall flow pattern with the high pressure ridge shifting back towards the four corners states would allow for a better monsoonal flow and perhaps some more consistent convective development than what has been observed so far this year. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Southwesterly winds will fall to less than 10 knots early this morning. Gusty winds increase once again during the afternoon along with FEW mid level cloud cover. Winds should gradually decrease during the evening and overnight, maintaining a southwesterly direction. There is a slim chance that outflow from convection over the southern Great Basin will make it to the Las Vegas Valley during the evening, causing a temporary change in wind direction and speed. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Lighter winds this morning become gusty out of the southwest this afternoon at most terminals. Convection is possible in the southern Great Basin and northern Owens Valley in the afternoon, hence the inclusion of VCTS at KBIH. The main concern with any storms that form is gusty outflow winds. There is a nonzero chance of an outflow boundary reaching the Las Vegas Valley in the evening causing a temporary change in wind direction and speed. Outside of storms, skies should be mostly clear. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Morgan LONG TERM...Outler AVIATION...Meltzer For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
811 PM PDT Tue Jul 18 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM Flash Flood 3 NNW Dyer 37.70N 118.09W
07/18/2023 Esmeralda NV Emergency Mngr
Severe flash flood impacts reported by
emergency management in Fish Lake Valley in
Esmeralda County. Flood impacts to Dyer
Elementary School and the Community Center.
Severe agricultural impacts noted. Portions
of Highway 264 and 266 through Dyer and
Oasis have limited access due to water over
the road. Time of flooding estimated by
radar.
&&
JVThe 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 began on July 14th. Three people died of heat-related causes; two during this period and one during the 14th-18th period.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event began on July 14th.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event began on July 14th. Ten people died of heat-related causes; five during this period and five during the 14th-18th period.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event began on July 14th.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on ten straight days. This event began on July 14th.
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 | 2023-07-22 | 34 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Northeast Clark | 2023-07-22 | 29 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-20 | 53 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-19 | 75 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-20 | 88 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-20 | 80 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2023-07-22 | 73 | 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: 1119312, 1119315, 1119316, 1119318, 1119320, 1119310, 1119311.