Nevada, 2024

Heat in Nevada, June 21 to 26, 2024

June 21 to 26, 2024 · NWS VEF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Sixteen people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Floods
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  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
16
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.

Sixteen people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 20, 2:30 PM PST, 9 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 20, 2:30 PM PST, 9 hours 30 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Las Vegas NV
330 PM PDT Thu Jun 20 2024

.SYNOPSIS...Increasing temperatures and the first influx of
moisture associated with the North American Monsoon and the
remnants of Tropical Depression Alberto are expected in the
coming days. Temperatures will climb to around 5-10 degrees above
normal over the weekend while tropical moisture will increase
over western Arizona, southern Nevada and eastern California
Friday through early next week. This moisture will lead to an
increase in shower and thunderstorm chances, while the hottest
temperatures have shifted to next week when decreasing moisture is
forecast.

&&

.DISCUSSION...through next Thursday.

Current infrared and water vapor satellite imagery show an upper-
level trough slowly moving inland along the West Coast. This trough
will continue to move inland before lifting northeast through
southern Nevada into southwestern Utah tomorrow. Isolated showers
and thunderstorms will be possible across northern Mohave County as
this trough lifts through the region tomorrow afternoon.

While this trough is moving through the area, Tropical Depression
Alberto will have traversed Mexico and entered the Gulf of
California. Remnant moisture from Alberto will begin to push into
Mohave County as early as tomorrow, spilling into Clark and eastern
San Bernardino counties over the weekend. As you would expect,
increased precipitation chances will accompany this influx of
moisture over the weekend. The best precipitation chances will be
limited to Mohave County on Saturday, with more widespread
precipitation chances (20% to 30%) for areas south and east of the I-
15 corridor on Sunday afternoon. Confidence regarding exact
precipitation amounts remains low at this time due to uncertainty
regarding where storms will develop. Additionally, there is a chance
that we will see increased cloud cover associated with this
anomalous moisture, which will limit daytime heating. Without a
source of synoptic lift, such as a trough, daytime heating would be
the primary source of lift for convective initiation and if daytime
heating is limited then convection would also be limited.

Once the aforementioned trough clears out of the area, a ridge of
high pressure will begin to develop over the Southwestern US over
the weekend. This will allow for temperatures to continue to heat up
to around 5 to 10 degrees above normal over the weekend. The remnant
moisture from Alberto will act as a damper, preventing temperatures
from really taking off until early next week. Widespread Moderate
HeatRisk is expected over the weekend, with pockets of Major
HeatRisk in Death Valley, Amargosa Valley, and portions of the Las
Vegas Valley. HeatRisk will increase early next week as temperatures
heat up another few degrees, yielding Major to Extreme HeatRisk in
the Colorado River Valley, Las Vegas Valley, Amargosa Valley, and
Death Valley.

An incoming trough will erode at the overhead ridge around mid-to-
late week and will eventually scour out any lingering anomalous
moisture from Alberto. However, there remains much uncertainty
regarding the evolution of this system.

&&

.AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Light easterly breezes will gradually
veer to the south throughout the afternoon. Strongest winds expected
in the late afternoon (roughly 23z), with peak gusts around 18-22
knots from a 160-210 direction. By sunset, wind speeds
subside and remain light through the night. Clear skies persist.

For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast
California...South-southeast breezes gradually develop this
afternoon and evening at most TAF sites, with peak gusts around 20-
25 knots. The exception will be KDAG, where west-southwest winds
prevail. Clear skies at most locations, though KBIH will see FEW-SCT
clouds at or above 12kft.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report
any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating
procedures.

&&

DISCUSSION...Stessman
AVIATION...Woods

For more forecast information...see us on our webpage:
https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Las Vegas Valley

When
June 21, 12:00 AM PST to June 26, 11:59 PM PST
Where
Las Vegas Valley forecast zone
Deaths
5 direct, 11 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.215, -115.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sixteen people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2143MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2171FemaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2268MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2246MaleUnknownDirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2258MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2255FemaleUnknownDirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2368FemaleUnknownDirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2461MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2449MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2470MaleUnknownDirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2489FemaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2539MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2575MaleUnknownDirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2653MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2651MaleUnknownIndirect
Heat, Las Vegas Valley2024-06-2646FemaleUnknownIndirect

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nevada in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, June 2024

Sources

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: 1196337.