Strong low pressure and an atmospheric river produced significant rain and snow over southeast California.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
Strong low pressure and an atmospheric river produced significant rain and snow over southeast California.
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 Feb 3, 1:08 PM PST, 12 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 108 PM PST Sat Feb 3 2024 .SYNOPSIS...A strong Pacific storm will begin moving inland Sunday. Heavy snow will begin over the southern Sierra early Sunday, and heavy rain and strong winds will impact Inyo County Sunday and Sunday night before spreading over southern Nevada and northwest Arizona Monday and Tuesday. Unsettled weather continues Wednesday through Friday as additional disturbances drop down from the Pacific Northwest. && .SHORT TERM...through tonight. Midday satellite loop showed few to scattered fair weather cumulus over much of our region, with cirrus moving into the western zones. Surface obs showed light winds, temperatures similar to 24 hours ago, and lower humidity. Looking only at the local area could lead to the impression of a quiet weather period, but an upstream look leads to a very different conclusion. Mid level water vapor imagery showed low pressure off the Oregon coast directing a plume of moisture east into California (the incoming cirrus mentioned above is the leading edge). A deepening shortwave trough near 33N 136W was providing lift while moving east. Infrared satellite imagery showed that the low level moisture plume extended all the way to Hawaii, signifying a tropical contribution which will bring the higher precipitable water discussed in the long term section. A couple of hazard changes from the previous shift: the High Wind Watch for the Owens Valley has been upgraded to a Wind Advisory, and the Winter Storm Watch for the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range has been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning. Also, the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center has issued an Avalanche Watch, valid through 7 AM Sunday morning. .LONG TERM...Sunday through next Friday. Increasing southwest flow will develop Sunday as a trough deepens over the eastern Pacific. This will allow for a deep subtropical fetch of moisture to take aim at the SW US Sunday through Wednesday. Ensemble PWATs begin to increase Sunday afternoon and range from 0.65" - 0.75" by Sunday evening generally across the southern half of the forecast area with PWATs ranging from 0.30" - 0.50" across the northern half. During this previous rain event, the PWATs in the Las Vegas Valley peaked around 0.65", so this upcoming system has the potential of being a wetter and more robust system. Precipitation is expected to spread into the Sierra Sunday morning and bring significant amounts of snow to elevations above 6000 feet...including all the mountains of Inyo county and Esmeralda/central Nye counties in Nevada. A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect for these areas from 4am Sunday to 4am Tuesday. Latest NBM numbers show that places like Aspendell could range anywhere from 30-40" of snow based on the NBM 10th and 90th percentiles with a mean of nearly 3 feet of snow by Tuesday morning. Some of the higher peaks above 9000 feet could receive upwards of 5 feet of snow. Snow levels are forecast to begin around 4500 feet, but will climb to between 5500-6500 feet by Sunday afternoon. Due to a favorable trajectory of this system, the Owens Valley, including Bishop could see between 1.25"(driest scenario) -2.50"(wettest scenario) of rain by Tuesday morning. Areas of Death Valley National Park could also see 1"-2" of total rainfall. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for these zones from Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon. Strong to high winds will also develop up the Owens Valley Sunday as the leading edge of the storm moves in. The latest HREF/NBM indicate the potential for gusts to 60 mph Sunday afternoon through Sunday night and a High Wind Watch is in effect for this period. As this trough digs further the plume of moisture (atmospheric river) will also begin to spread east with widespread precipitation taking aim at southern Nevada and northwest Arizona early Monday though Tuesday. Due to favored orographics, the higher terrain of southern Nevada and northwest Arizona could see 1-3 feet of snow, bringing major winter impacts to places in the Spring Mountains above 6000 feet. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range above 6000 feet from Sunday evening through Tuesday evening. Even the lower valleys could see significant rainfall with the latest NBM giving Las Vegas a 3-day rain total ranging from 0.50" - 1.50" of rain by Wednesday morning. At this point there are a lot of variables with potential amounts mainly due to the overall track of low incoming low, but overall this looks to be a rather rainy/snowy start to next week, although it most likely will not be precipitating the entire time. By the middle part of next week, things get a little more murky with plenty of variability in the models with the potential of additional systems impacting the area. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...No weather-related operational impacts are anticipated through this evening. Overnight, cloud cover will increase, with bases falling to around 6kft AGL by 8Z. A few scattered showers will be possible between 8Z and 15Z, although any that develop are expected to remain west of the field near the Spring Mountains. A break in precipitation chances is expected tomorrow afternoon before the main moisture plume from the Pacific storm moves into the area Sunday night. CIGs will remain around 6kft AGL to 8kft AGL tomorrow afternoon before falling to around 5kft AGL tomorrow evening. Winds will remain light through tonight before southeasterly winds increase tomorrow afternoon. The current thinking is that winds will remain between 150-180. However, there is a 25% that winds could start off between 120-180 as the stronger winds develop before turning to a more southerly direction. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Abundant moisture from the Pacific Storm system will begin to overspread the area tonight, with KBIH being the first TAF site to see adverse impacts. Scattered showers will begin to develop after 6Z, although the precipitation is initially expected to stay west of the field closer to the Sierra. Precipitation may also start as snow, but a changeover to rain is likely by 15Z. CIGs will fall through the period with bases around 2kft AGL likely by afternoon. Southerly winds will also increase, with gusts to 35kts possible tomorrow afternoon. The precipitation is expected to hold off at KDAG, KIFP, and KEED through tomorrow afternoon, but clouds will increase with bases falling to around 8KFT AGL by evening. Vegas area sites may see a few isolated showers tomorrow morning, followed by increasing southerly winds tomorrow afternoon. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Morgan LONG TERM...Adair/Gorelow AVIATION...Planz For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 158 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:34 UTC.
3 flood, 2 flash flood, 1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Aspendell received 27.9 of new snow. Pine Creek Road was closed just west of Rovana at midnight on the night of the 4th.
Trona Wildrose Road was closed from the Inyo County line to Panamint Valley Road, and Panamint Valley Road was closed from Trona Wildrose Road to Highway 190 due to long-duration flooding.
Numerous roads in Inyo County were closed due to flooding/washouts. The times were estimated. One vehicle got stuck in the flooding.
The Amargosa River flooded areas from Tecopa Hot Springs down to Highway 127 near Dumont Dunes.
One lane of I-15 northbound in Barstow was closed due to flooding.
Water and debris flowed over roads in the Furnace Creek area.
Interstate 15 was closed due to an estimated 3 of new snow around Halloran Summit, which contributed to numerous accidents and several jackknifed big rigs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2024
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: 1162697, 1162698, 1162699, 1162700, 1162701, 1162702, 1162703.