High pressure built westward over the Mojave Desert, leading to another spell of extreme heat. Thirty-four people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
High pressure built westward over the Mojave Desert, leading to another spell of extreme heat. Thirty-four people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes.
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 19, 12:59 AM PST, 8 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 159 AM PDT Fri Jul 19 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Isolated to scattered thunderstorm chances continue this afternoon across southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, and northern Inyo County. This weekend, rain chances become primarily confined to Mohave County and the southern Great Basin as excessive heat builds across the Mojave Desert. Storm chances expand west next week as moisture increases once again. && .DISCUSSION...through next Friday. The 500mb high continues to slowly drift westward, progressing into western/central AZ tomorrow and practically overhead this weekend. As this occurs, 850mb flow actually becomes more westerly, leading to decreased moisture advection up the Colorado River Valley. This results in a slight decrease in moisture across the Mojave Desert over the next three days. PoPs this afternoon are highest in Lincoln and eastern Mohave Counties, though 20-40% chances still exist in parts of Clark County and our northwestern areas, primarily on the high terrain. Main concerns with any convection will be isolated flash flooding and gusty outflow winds. This weekend, when the high moves overhead, PoPs become more confined to Lincoln and Mohave Counties. The other impact of the 500mb high moving into our area is the increasing heat. Temperatures gradually creep up through the weekend, with Major and Extreme HeatRisk spreading west/north. An Excessive Heat Warning goes into effect at 10 AM this morning for the Colorado River Valley and southern Mohave/San Bernardino Counties. On Saturday, the warning expands to include the remainder of our San Bernardino zones, the lower elevations of Clark County, southern Nye County, and Death Valley. The Excessive Heat Warning runs through Sunday evening. Next week, the upper-level high drifts ever so slightly northwest and at least some moisture advection resumes as 850mb flow in the Colorado River Valley acquires a southerly component. This lets better moisture return to the Mojave Desert, with 1" PWAT probabilities along the I-15 corridor increasing from 30-60% on Monday to 60-90% on Wednesday. The increase in moisture allows PoPs to increase and spread westward. Latest NBM has rain chances increasing to 20+ percent across the majority of the CWA by Tuesday and Wednesday. Suspect these values are at least somewhat inflated by NBM climatology, so brought them down slightly in the forecast, but didn't make too many cuts given the moisture return shown in ensemble guidance. The potential for scattered convection will also influence the temperature forecast next week. Temperatures are likely to remain above normal, but whether they are able to keep HeatRisk at Major/Extreme levels remains to be seen. Given the uncertainty, any changes to the current heat headlines will have to wait until convective coverage early next week becomes clearer. Late in the work week, ensemble guidance is in fairly good agreement that a trough moving into the PacNW will flatten the ridge. This would result in cooler and drier conditions across the area. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Partly cloudy skies along with light winds this morning. Showers and thunderstorms will start to develop on the Spring Mountains and McCullough Range west and south of the valley between 18Z and 20Z. Additional storm development will occur within the valley between 20Z and 24Z associated with gusty outflow winds predominately from a south or southeast direction, but could ultimately come from any direction. Shower and thunderstorm chances diminish after sunset, with winds returning to typical diurnal direction through the evening and overnight hours. Less shower and thunderstorm threat on Saturday (<10%) as any storms will weaken as they move into the valley. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Best coverage for thunderstorms today will be in southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and the southern Sierra Nevada of Inyo County. Primary hazard with these storms will be gusty outflow winds up to 40 mph. Restricted visibility due to locally heavy rain is possible as well. Slight decrease in coverage of storms Saturday, primarily favoring east central Nevada and northwest Arizona. Main concerns again being erratic, gusty surface winds and locally heavy rain. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && DISCUSSION...Woods AVIATION...Pierce 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.
5 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on seven straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on five straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on five straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on six straight days. Thirty-four people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes during and immediately after the heat wave.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on six straight days.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
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, July 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: 1205803, 1205804, 1205805, 1205806, 1205807.