A cutoff low pressure system meandered around the Mojave Desert, producing multiple rounds of snow over the Spring Mountains.
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.
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 cutoff low pressure system meandered around the Mojave Desert, producing multiple rounds of snow over the Spring Mountains.
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 Mar 14, 2:21 AM PST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 321 AM PDT Thu Mar 14 2024 .SYNOPSIS...A strong low pressure system will bring gusty north winds to the forecast area through Friday and afternoon showers and isolated thunderstorms through Saturday. Temperatures will cool going into the weekend, but will warm heading into the next work week. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday. A cut-off low pressure system dropped through the Great Basin yesterday and is now positioned over southern Nevada. This low will more-or-less stall through the remainder of the work week, through weekend, and potentially into the start of next week over the Desert Southwest. This pattern is thanks to a building ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific Ocean. Through the work week, this ridge will curl around the northern edge of the low, which will create a Rex Block and effectively trap this low over the Desert Southwest. [Wind Forecast] Impacts from this area of low pressure will include wind, precipitation, and a drop in temperatures. The building ridge to the west assisted in compacting pressure gradients across the forecast area yesterday and thus, gusty north winds. These tight pressure gradients and gusty north winds will stick around through Friday. Associated Wind Advisories are out for the region, which look to be in good shape - no changes were made. Overnight last night into this morning, a cold front associated with the low pressure's trough axis moved north-to-south through the forecast area, which further enhanced the gusty north winds. Speeds have generally ranged from 35 to 45 mph, though pockets of 50+ mph have occurred primarily in the higher terrain or locations with N-S topographic enhancement. [Wind Impacts] Dangerous crosswinds can be expected along east-west thoroughfares including but not limited to: Interstate 15, Interstate 40, Highway 95 through Amargosa Valley, Highway 93 between Hiko and Caliente, State Route 190, State Route 160, State Route 62, State Route 266, and State Route 267. If your trash day is today or Friday, be mindful of the location of your trash can as well as its proximity to nearby vehicles. If you own a trampoline or lawn furniture, ensure they are secured, so they don't become flying objects. Wave heights between 2 and 4 feet expected on Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu, resulting in dangerous boating conditions. [Precipitation] Increased moisture across the region coupled with dynamics from the overhead low pressure will result in scattered afternoon showers and isolated thunderstorms each afternoon through Saturday. Snow levels will range from 4500 to 5500 ft this afternoon through Saturday. As such, precipitation that falls above 6000 ft can expect new snow accumulations. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Spring Mountains above 6000 ft between 5 PM this evening and 5 PM Saturday. Kyle Canyon can expect between 2 and 4 inches of new snow, while Lee Canyon can expect between 4 and 6 inches. Higher snowfall amounts are possible underneath cells that are more convective in-nature (especially if there is lightning associated. Rainfall totals should remain modest, with only about 0.50 inches of precipitable water in the atmosphere. Most areas can expect less than 0.25" through the event, but the higher terrain (with the help of topographic lift) and locations beneath thunderstorms could expect locally higher amounts. Flooding does not look to be a concern, nor does frequent lightning. [Temperatures] A cold frontal passage last night will result in today's high temperatures between 5 and 8 degrees cooler than yesterday's across the forecast area. Mostly cloudy skies on Friday will keep Las Vegas from warming into the 60s in the afternoon, with an 80% chance of temperatures remaining 59 degrees or cooler. This will make Friday the coolest day of the forecast period areawide at 12 to 15 degrees below seasonal averages. .LONG TERM...Sunday through Wednesday. A Rex Block pattern will remain in place through early next week with strong high pressure to our north and lingering troughing across the Southwest Deserts. Little to no precipitation is forecast in this period with weakening low pressure over the Southwest. No significant winds are forecast although there will be some breezy winds at times, especially early in the extended along the Colorado River Valley. A warming trend is forecast with temperatures back to seasonal by Monday and above normal Tuesday and Wednesday. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Gusty north or northeasterly winds will continue through the day today, with the strongest winds and the highest probabilities for gusts of 35+ knots occuring through 20z. Winds will decrease in intensity Thursday evening and overnight but will continue to favor northerly directions. Shower activity will be on the increase Thursday night into Friday morning with increasing chances for showers and reduced CIGS aob 6kft AGL after 8z. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Gusty north winds can be expected today across all of the regional airspace, with gusts of 30 to 40 knots common through the early afternoon hours. Pockets of strong turbulence can be expected as well. Cloud cover will be on the increase this afternoon and evening as moisture pulls west from Arizona, with increasing chances for shower activity along and south of I-15 through Friday morning, with showers spreading further north during the day on Friday. Ceilings below 5kft AGL will become increasingly likely by Friday morning. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Varian LONG TERM...Salmen AVIATION...Outler 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.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow in the Spring Mountains closed Highways 156, 157, and 158 on the 15th at 0845 PST. The Lee Canyon SNOTEL recorded a total of 17 inches, but it fell over such a long period that warning criteria were not reached.
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, March 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: 1167071.