High pressure building overhead brought dangerously hot temperatures to the Mojave Desert. Three people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes immediately following the heat wave.
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 building overhead brought dangerously hot temperatures to the Mojave Desert. Three people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes immediately following the heat wave.
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 Sep 4, 9:50 AM PST, 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 1050 AM PDT Wed Sep 4 2024 .Updated aviation discussion for 18z TAFs below... .SYNOPSIS...Dry and unseasonably warm through the remainder of the work week, with the hottest temperatures Wednesday through Friday. Relief arrives this weekend as moisture and precipitation chances briefly return. && .UPDATE...Heat continues to build today with Excessive Heat Warnings going into effect later this morning for most of the Mojave Desert. The excessive heat persists through Friday as Major to Extreme HeatRisk impacts the area. Relief arrives this weekend as moisture and precipitation chances return. Rain potential appears to be rather brief, with odds waning early next week. Temperatures on the other hand are more uncertain as a pacific trough tries to come ashore and move through the Western US. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Winds will generally remain east/northeast 8 knots or less through early afternoon. Thereafter, winds expected to shift to the southeast and eventually south/southwest after 22z. Winds to gradually turn back to the north and northeast overnight and into Thurs morning. Otherwise, scattered mid level clouds can be expected. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...A diurnal wind pattern will be favored with winds generally less than 10 knots and scattered mid level clouds. A north/northeast wind push will lead to winds of 10-15 knots and gusts of 20 to 25 knots at KEED and KIFP beyond 12z Thurs. As this is near the end of the current TAF period, will likely include in the 00z TAF issuance. && .SHORT TERM...Through Friday night. Trough located over the northern Great Basin will exit northeast Nevada over the next 6-8 hours as it continues its trek eastward. Infrared imagery is detecting some shallow cloud development along the cold front from Esmeralda County east into the panhandle of northern Lincoln County. Strong area of high pressure will quickly build across Nevada today and Thursday before shifting a bit east on Friday. Under this heat dome temperature will peak at most sites on Thursday, as much as 7-9 degrees above normal. Excessive Heat Warning goes into effect later this morning and will run through Friday evening. Aside from the heat. As a tighter north/south surface pressure gradient develops tonight/Thursday, models do bring a push of stronger northeast winds out of southwest Utah late this evening and into Clark County overnight/Thursday. That push makes it down into the lower Colorado River Valley with strongest north wind gusts of 20-30 mph at Laughlin/Bullhead City Thursday. There is a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms along the southern Sierra Friday afternoon associated with a trough moving into northern California, as well as eastern Mohave County. .LONG TERM...Saturday through Tuesday. Flow aloft will turn more southerly over the weekend as high pressure migrates to near the Four Corners and a shortwave moves into Northern California and the Great Basin. This will open the door for the northward transport of some deeper monsoonal moisture into the region, especially across central and eastern zones for both Saturday and Sunday. Precipitable water anomalies with this moisture increase will climb into the 100-150% of normal range, though GFS versus ECMWF based guidance remain wetter/drier respectively. Nonetheless, sufficient moisture will be in play for isolated to scattered thunderstorm activity, especially across the eastern Mojave Desert and northwest Arizona. This added moisture will also temper down the excessive heat earlier in the week, with temps trending closer to typical early September values. By Monday onward, uncertainty increases as there remains disparities on how quickly moisture will clear the area and if there will be residual storm chances into the first half of the week. There are also hints among cluster based guidance on a deeper Western US trough approaching by midweek, which could stir up regional wind speeds and slowly cool temperatures, though other guidance maintains a more dominant ridge. For now, a drying trend is advertised through early next week with temperatures holding near seasonal normals. && .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...Austin 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 three straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days. Three people died in Las Vegas of heat-related causes immediately following the heat wave.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days.
Excessive Heat Warning criteria were reached on three straight days.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2024-09-10 | 83 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Indirect |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2024-09-07 | 40 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Excessive Heat, Las Vegas Valley | 2024-09-08 | 52 | Male | Permanent Structure | Indirect |
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, September 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: 1216200, 1216201, 1216202, 1216203, 1216204.