A deep trough digging into the Great Basin produced strong to locally high winds in southern Nevada. Several thunderstorms also enhanced these winds to severe levels.
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 deep trough digging into the Great Basin produced strong to locally high winds in southern Nevada. Several thunderstorms also enhanced these winds to severe levels.
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 May 17, 1:24 PM PST, 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 224 PM PDT Sat May 17 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Widespread gusty winds are expected across the region today as a weather system moves in. A few showers and thunderstorms are possible across the southern Great Basin as well. Temperatures will cool slightly today through Monday with northwesterly breezes hanging on through Monday afternoon. A warming trend will commence Tuesday onward with temperatures climbing well above normal. && .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Monday. An upper level trough will continue to dig into Southwest Utah tonight and Sunday. With the strongest forcing and pressure gradient ahead of the trough axis, the south to southwest winds and wind impacts are expected to diminish tonight. Northwest flow will take over as the downstream side of the trough moves overhead. These northwest winds could bring isolated wind impacts to Esmeralda, Nye, and northern Inyo County, but the highest winds and probabilities for gust over 40 MPH are expected to remain isolated and confined to the higher terrain tonight. On Sunday, the overall pressure gradient weakens and impactful winds are not expected with widespread north to northwest gusts to 20-30 MPH likely. Drier air will filter into the region behind the trough and precipitation will end tonight. Sunday will be dry under mostly sunny skies. On Monday, a reinforcing shortwave will ride through the mean northwest flow. This piece of energy become less robust with each model run and now only skirts portions of southern Nevada and northwest Arizona, and thus the wind forecast continues to trend lower on Monday. The best chance for impactful winds on Monday will be in the Colorado River Valley as northerly winds funneling down the terrain, mainly in the morning. Probabilities for 40 MPH gusts are highest around Laughlin, with 50%-70% probabilities elsewhere in the Colorado River Valley Monday morning. Boaters should be aware of the potential for impacts on the lakes on Monday. Elsewhere, winds will not be impactful with gusts 15-25 MPH currently expected. Temperatures Sunday and Monday will be cooler than today and run a few degrees below normal. With north winds, it may feel a bit cooler as well. .LONG TERM...Tuesday through Friday Temperatures increase through the workweek as the trough exits to the east and heights aloft rise. The probability of reaching 100 degrees in Las Vegas on Thursday is now 75 percent. On Thursday and Friday, expect widespread Moderate (Level 2) HeatRisk across the desert valleys, a level of heat that affects anyone sensitive to heat, especially those without adequate cooling or hydration. There is also the potential for some Major (Level 3) HeatRisk along the Colorado River, which affects anyone without effective cooling or hydration. Zonal flow aloft should help maintain non-impactful winds through at least Thursday, but may have to watch an approaching shortwave towards the end of the week. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...For the 18Z Forecast Package...Gusty southwest winds continue through the evening hours with gusts 30-40 knots. After sunset, winds begin to weaken until they shift to the northwest. The exact timing of this wind shift remains uncertain and will likely be tied to the strength/coverage of shower activity to the north of the valley. Most guidance brings the northwesterlies in between 04z and 09z tonight, but if the aforementioned precipitation is very weak/sparse, it is possible that the wind shift holds off until sunrise tomorrow (20% chance). Chances of precipitation in the Las Vegas Valley are rather low at ~15%. While some fluctuations back to the west are possible overnight, winds should be predominantly from the northwest with gusts 20-25 knots. SCT-BKN clouds at or above 10kft. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...For the 18Z Forecast Package...Gusty southwest winds persist across most of the area today with the exception being BIH where winds will be more northwesterly. Gusts this afternoon in the 25-40 knot range, with the strongest winds out at DAG. After sunset, winds will begin to weaken. In the Las Vegas Valley, a shift to the northwest is expected between 04z and 09z, though the wind shift may struggle to reach or persist at HND. VFR conditions prevail with SCT- BKN clouds at or above 10kft. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...Nickerson LONG TERM...Meltzer AVIATION...Woods 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 00:13 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
This gust occurred 1 mile NW of Mountain Springs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, May 2025
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: 1265398, 1265399, 1265400, 1265401, 1265402, 1265403.