A Pacific trough swinging through the region brought spotty high winds to southern Nevada.
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The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.
A Pacific trough swinging through the region brought spotty high winds to southern Nevada.
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 Dec 24, 12:28 PM PST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 1228 PM PST Tue Dec 24 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Precipitation chances spread east today and tonight while gusty conditions persist across the western half of the area. Rainfall amounts remain light while snow accumulations of 3- 6 inches in the Spring Mountains may cause hazardous travel. Dry and quieter conditions resume Christmas day. Other than light precipitation chances Thursday and Friday across our northern zones, much of the area remains dry through the end of the year. && .SHORT TERM...through Christmas Day. Our western zones are beginning to feel the effects of the incoming system in the form of precipitation in the Sierra and gusty winds across the deserts. Overall, not much has changed in the forecast. Precipitation chances spread east throughout the rest of the day and overnight. Best odds of seeing measurable rain remain northwest of I- 15 and northern Mohave County. Here in the Las Vegas Valley, chances continue to dwindle. NBM PoPs have trended down and the hi-res guidance only has 10% PoPs in the northwestern portions of the valley (Summerlin to Centennial Hills). We'd probably be better off just remaining completely dry, as light rain won't be much of a drought benefit and the last 160 days of dry conditions have allowed a lot of oil/grime to build up on the roadways. Light rain will only mix with that and create slick driving conditions, so be extra cautious out there this evening. Many of the valleys around the area that do see rain will see very light amounts, with only ~10% chances of seeing more than 0.10". The exception to this is across our northern zones where a convective component to the precipitation may spur a few rumbles of thunder and brief periods of moderate rain rates. Valleys in these areas have 30-70% chances of seeing a tenth or more. On the wintry side, snow impacts are likely to be limited to the Spring Mountains above 7000'. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for that area from 4PM this afternoon to 4AM Christmas morning. There is a 50% chance of total snow accumulations of 3-6 inches, and most of this may fall in short order. Between 5-8PM this evening, there is a ~60% chance of seeing 1"/hour snowfall rates, and a ~20% chance of seeing 2"/hr rates. Realistically, these rates won't last more than an hour to two, but travel may be very difficult during that time, especially when combined with strong winds around 50 mph. For places in the Sierra such as Aspendell and Whitney Portal, minimal impacts are anticipated today with total accumulations likely (90% chance) remaining below 3". Outside of precipitation, this system is also bringing increased winds. Southerly breezes of 20-30 mph are already kicking up across Inyo, Nye, and Esmeralda counties where Wind Advisories are currently in effect. These will continue to ramp up this afternoon, along with our western San Bernardino County zones where Wind Advisories go into effect at 4PM. In general, expecting peak gusts of 40-55 mph in these areas. In the late afternoon and evening there will be a brief window for potential downslope winds in the western portions of the Owens and Las Vegas valleys. This may lead to hazardous crosswinds on N-S roads, particularly US-395. The progressive nature of this system means it'll be out of here just as quickly as it moved in. Precipitation chances are forecast to end by daybreak on Christmas. There will be some lingering north breezes throughout the day, but not expecting anything impactful. Skies are forecast to be mostly clear with temperatures near or slightly above normal. .LONG TERM...Thursday through New Years Eve. After Christmas, ensemble guidance shifts the storm track to our north but maintains its active and progressive nature. A series of weak disturbances and pulses of moisture will keep periods of 20-50% PoPs around on Thursday and Friday across northern portions of the area. Best chances reside in the Sierra, Lincoln County, and northern Mohave County. Any amounts with this activity should be relatively light, with a 90% chance that total QPF is less than a third of an inch and snow amounts less than 2" (outside of the Sierra crest). By this weekend, models suggest a broad 500mb ridge will take hold over the region. This keeps PoPs to our north and allows temperatures to warm 6-12 degrees above normal. There remains a lot of forecast uncertainty towards the final days of the year, with potential for an "inside slider" type system to pass by. Details should become clearer over the next few days, but we could see breezy north winds around the new year. However, little-to-no precipitation would be expected with that type of system. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...A storm system swinging through the southern Great Basin will bring an increase in winds, along with the threat of a few showers later today and tonight. Initially, winds will remain light this afternoon, but after 00Z, increasing southwest winds are expected. Sustained speeds are forecast to remain less than 15 knots, but there is a 30 percent chance of occasional gusts to 20 knots after 01Z. Precipitation chances have decreased in the latest model runs, but there is still a 40 percent chance of seeing 0.01" or greater at the field, generally between 02Z and 06Z. Isolated areas of weak convection are also possible this evening north of the valley, possibly affecting the Beatty and Mormon Mesa corridors. As the storm system exits the region, winds will turn northerly and remain gusty through mid-day tomorrow before decreasing. CIGs should mostly remain 10kft AGL or higher throughout the TAF period, although reductions to around 8kft AGL are possible in and near shower activity. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...A storm system moving through the southern Great Basin will bring increased winds and the chance of precipitation into tonight. Light rain showers will move west to east across the region this afternoon, initially impacting KBIH before moving across the Vegas area terminals by evening. Isolated areas of weak convection are also possible as the system passes, mainly across southern Nevada north of the Vegas Valley. Gusty southwest winds will turn north overnight in most areas. The strongest winds are expected across the western Mojave Desert, including KDAG, where gusts to 35 knots are expected this evening. Winds in other areas will be lower, although gusts to 25 knots will be common this evening through Wednesday morning. CIGs should mostly remain 10kft AGL or higher throughout the TAF period, although occasional reductions to around 8kft AGL are possible in and near shower activity. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && DISCUSSION...Woods AVIATION...Planz 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.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
These gusts occurred 3 miles NE of Mount Charleston.
These gusts occurred 44 miles ENE of Beatty.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, December 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: 1222395, 1222396.