7 things that happen when it rains in Las Vegas

In an average year, Las Vegas gets about 4.19 inches of rain — for the entire year. In case you weren’t aware, that’s not much, but it does cause a lot of problems between flash floods and slick roads from oil buildup.

No matter what, though, when it rains, valley residents kind of forget how to go about their day normally…

Here are seven things that happen when it rains in Las Vegas:

Everyone *just* washed their car

Either that, or you were just thinking about washing your car. Yep, you’re cursed.

Everyone drives at either 35 or 80 mph on the highways

Both of those numbers are dangerous — the speed limits are posted for normal conditions, not weather conditions, and the Nevada Department of Transportation advises you drive with reduced speeds.

The DMV says you can even get a ticket for driving the posted speed limit during pouring rain or icy conditions.

And please, turn on your headlights.

The rainiest days are when you’re most inappropriately dressed

Sheer skirt? Thin sandals? White button-down? Your most expensive suit that you can’t get wet? Somehow you wore it all and now you’re stuck in your car waiting for the rain to calm down before getting out.

Umbrella sales surge valley-wide

“What’s this ‘umbrella’ you speak of?” someone posted on the Review-Journal’s Facebook page.

An umbrella isn’t something you need to keep around, and many valley residents lose theirs before the next monsoon season. If you are lucky enough to have bought a decent one in previous seasons, chances are you’ll spend some time digging through your closet trying to find it.

People go hiking (which isn’t a good idea)

Seriously, this isn’t a good idea — even a drizzle can cause a flash flood, and being caught in the mountains for one can be deadly. Wait until the rain passes and enjoy the no-longer-dusty hikes.

You realize your windshield wipers melted already

It seems you have to get these replaced at the end of almost every summer, because the sun has warped them to the point of no return, where using them just makes your windshield worse.

Everyone posts about it like they’ve never seen rain

Pictures of three pieces of hail or a misty cloud practically become trending topics on every social media platform available. People, it’s just the weather.

Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva