Deep low pressure moving into the West Coast brought a brief period of high wind to portions of southern Nevada. One thunderstorm also brought severe winds to a small portion of the southern Great Basin.
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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.
Deep low pressure moving into the West Coast brought a brief period of high wind to portions of southern Nevada. One thunderstorm also brought severe winds to a small portion of the southern Great Basin.
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 23, 12:15 AM PST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 115 AM PDT Sat Mar 23 2024 .SYNOPSIS...Strong southwest winds will occur across much of the area today, lingering through Sunday in San Bernardino County. Expect an increasing chance for showers, with higher chances near and north of Las Vegas, which could bring several inches of snow to the Sierra Nevada range. Cooler temperatures will settle in over the area this weekend, then warm back to late March averages by the middle of next week. As March comes to a close next weekend, a deep area of low pressure will usher in more unsettled weather. && .SHORT TERM...through Sunday night. Beginning to see winds increase in the Spring Mountains, southern Nye County and throughout parts of Inyo County. Highest gust so far has been 46 mph at Oak Creek RAWS, northwest of Independence, CA. Meanwhile, precipitation has been slow to develop east of the crest, but radar shows returns increasing west of the crest with even a few lightning strikes detected. As one shortwave trough pivots through northern California tonight, another will rotate through southern California late this afternoon and tonight. Broad cyclonic flow will remain across the Great Basin and Mojave Desert through Sunday with the trough axis shifting off to our east Sunday night. Winds: HREF probability for wind gusts greater than 40 mph footprint supports ongoing area under wind advisories. Highest probabilities are shown in the higher terrain, and just downwind of that terrain in Inyo, southern Nye, Clark and San Bernardino Counties. During the peak of this event later this morning into this evening, some gusts in the 50-60 mph range possible in the western Las Vegas Valley, as well as just below canyon openings along the eastern Sierra Slopes. As winds shift to the northwest across Inyo County and southern Nevada Sunday, stronger westerly winds will linger across San Bernardino before weakening Sunday night. Precipitation: Heaviest snow in the eastern Sierra will occur from now through about 10 am this morning associated with shortwave trough presently moving through northern California. Shower and thunderstorm chances will begin to increase across the western Mojave Desert around noon. That threat increases across southern Nevada and northwest Arizona mid afternoon into this evening associated with shortwave trough moving through southern California. Isolated to scattered showers with a few embedded thunderstorms hang around through tonight and Sunday under the broad cyclonic flow. Still looking at 2-7 inches in the southern Sierra above 7000 feet, and up to 3 inches above 7500 feet in the Spring Mountains. Though we just welcomed in Spring, it won't feel like it Sunday with highs around 10 degrees below normal. .LONG TERM...Monday through Saturday. Active pattern expected through the long term period as a series of weather systems move through the region, bringing cooler than normal conditions along with periods of gusty winds and mainly mountain rain and snow showers. As the weekends trough shifts east on Monday, a northwesterly flow aloft will take hold Monday and Tuesday with dry conditions for most of the lower elevations, though some low chances for showers will persist across the southern Great Basin and Northwest Arizona with some residual moisture and instability present. In the post frontal environment temperatures will remain cooler than normal both days as well. By Wednesday, low amplitude shortwave ridge will begin to shift into the Southwestern states allowing for a brief increase in regional heights and allowing surface temperatures to climb close to seasonal normals, though it will likely remain just a touch on the cool side. Meanwhile, a deepening trough will take shape off the Pacific Northwest Coast that will bring increasingly gusty winds to the area for the later half of the week along with cooling temperatures. Ensemble guidance is struggling with the details of this second trough, with some members keeping the trough more progressive while others develop a stronger and deeper trough that digs into the Southwestern US over the weekend. Regardless of the exact evolution, confidence is fairly high in a continuation of cool and unsettled weather for the second half of the week, which may last into the weekend. Depending on how far south the trough digs into the region, some shower activity will be a possibility as well. Stay tuned. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Gusty southwesterly winds increase this morning, strengthening throughout the day. There is a 90 percent chance of gusts reaching 40 knots in the afternoon. Showers may also develop along high terrain around the Las Vegas Valley during the late morning and afternoon, but at this time confidence is low in any of these showers reaching the terminal. Winds peak in the mid afternoon, decreasing through the late afternoon and evening. Cloud bases associated with the showers will be around 8 kft. Speeds should fall below 10 knots early Sunday morning, but there is a 30 percent chance that speeds stay above 10 knots. Winds become gusty out of the northwest once again later on Sunday morning with speeds of 10 knots or greater. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Gusty winds are expected at all terminals today. For the Las Vegas Valley sites, winds increase out of the southwest this morning, peaking in the afternoon with max gusts between 35 and 40 knots. Showers may develop within the vicinity of terminals in the afternoon along high terrain around Las Vegas. Winds gradually decrease in the late afternoon and evening. For the Colorado River Valley sites, winds also strengthen out of the southwest in the late morning and afternoon, but peak gusts will be in the 25 to 30 knot range. Rain showers could pass within the vicinity of terminals in the afternoon. Winds decrease in intensity after sunset but may remain gusty through the night. At KDAG, winds remain westerly to southwesterly throughout the day with gusts in the afternoon between 30 and 40 knots. Winds increase in the evening with gusts over 40 knots possible overnight. Showers may pass within the vicinity of the terminal in the late morning or afternoon. Lastly, at KBIH, winds start off out of the southeast this morning, but intensify and switch to the southwest and eventually west in the afternoon. Showers moving off the Sierra may reach the vicinity of the terminal in the morning. Peak gusts up to 30 knots are possible. Wind rotors may lead to temporary changes in wind direction at times. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Pierce LONG TERM...Outler AVIATION...Meltzer For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The Las Vegas radar (KESX), 176 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:12 UTC.
2 high wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
These gusts occurred at the Mercury-Desert Rock (KDRA) ASOS.
This gust occurred 3 mi NE of Mt. Charleston.
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: 1167074, 1167075, 1167076.