Brace yourselves, Las Vegas and the wider Great Basin region: weather patterns are about to do a little dance that brings in a new system by Friday. According to the National Weather Service Las Vegas NV, while showers will grace the Sierra and parts of the Great Basin, the rest of you might want to hold onto your hats—literally. Dry, gusty winds are the main act elsewhere, reaching speeds that'll make for a hair-tousling day. A statement obtained by the National Weather Service highlighted that precipitation odds are varying, from 20-60%, with the sweet spot up northwest.
A 75% chance exists for less than 0.25 inches in the valleys and under 0.50 inches in the mountains. However, those living above 9,500-10,000 feet could see a dusting of snow, where minor accumulations of 1-4 inches may dress the Sierra crest. As the system ushers in, Friday will also see gusts in places like Owens Valley and from Desert Rock to Indian Springs that might very well flirt with the 40+ mph mark due to localized downsloping, as per the National Weather Service.
This weather system will move out quickly, with Saturday bringing drier air, cooler temps, and lighter winds. The National Weather Service says this is part of a pattern that will keep things slightly cooler and drier than usual into next week. Temperatures should slowly return to normal as the week goes on.
For flyers out of Harry Reid or those just peeping out the window for a heads-up on their day, VFR conditions will hold steady, save for the usual shift in winds and potential for gusts touching 20-25KT. Skies will maintain that VFR status, as they often do, dressing themselves in FEW-SCT clouds, but with all the action way up at around 25kft, as reported by the National Weather Service.
