Las Vegas residents and visitors, keep your umbrellas close and stay weather-aware this weekend. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has forecasted a continuation of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms across southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, and southeastern California. According to the National Weather Service latest area forecast discussion, conditions are expected to persist through the weekend with potential hazards including moderate-to-heavy rain, flash flooding, and strong outflow winds.
The low pressure system at the heart of these weather patterns shows no signs of moving on just yet. "The low pressure system responsible for the showers and thunderstorms of the past few days will continue to sit and spin over southern California, southern Nevada, and western Arizona through the weekend," as detailed by the National Weather Service in their early morning report. This could bring about hail as sizeable as 1 inch and frequent lightning. Areas particularly at risk for flooding include southern San Bernardino County into Mohave County, where storms could deliver rain rates exceeding 1.0+ inch per hour.
As we transition into the new week, a shift is anticipated. The bothersome low pressure is expected to gradually exit the region starting Sunday, giving way to a trough approaching the West Coast. This change will bring breezier winds and isolated showers, mainly on Monday and Tuesday across northwestern Arizona and the Great Basin. "However," the National Weather Service cautions, "it is important to note there remains some uncertainty regarding how quickly we will dry out as it will depend on how much moisture from Hurricane Narda in the East Pacific ends up getting advected into the area during the second half of the week."
For pilots and those flying out of Harry Reid Airport, extra caution is advised. The National Weather Service aviation forecast indicates that scattered showers and storms are likely to impact flights particularly between 21z and 03z. These conditions may include "erratic and gusty outflow winds, frequent lightning, and brief MVFR/IFR conditions within heavy rain." Although thunderstorm potential should decrease after sunset, vicinity showers could carry on throughout the night, maintaining cloud bases between 8-12kft with intermittent SCT-BKN conditions.
Lastly, the National Weather Service is calling on its network of spotters to remain vigilant and report significant weather impacts according to standard operating procedures. For those living in or traveling through the affected areas, staying updated on the latest weather developments is highly recommended throughout this period of variable conditions and potential weather hazards.
