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Stormy conditions south of Las Vegas fizzle out; monsoon risk remains

Updated July 17, 2021 - 10:02 pm

Thunderstorms and wind gusts in northwest Arizona and south of Las Vegas died out Saturday evening and are not expected to pose significant issues overnight.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning late Saturday afternoon for Lake Mead over concerns of wind gusts across the lake and possible damaging hail.

“We were worried about gusts up to 50 mph across the lake,” said meteorologist Chelsea Peters. “Mohave County had some significant rainfall and flash flood warnings.”

“Over 1 inch of rain on the Flag Wildfire Burn Scar has caused a debris flow,” a weather service tweet stated.

Some other rainfall totals ranged between 0.75 of an inch and 1.25 inches, Peters said.

“The (storm) outflow didn’t do that much and it appears it’s not doing too much right now,” Peters said shortly before 10 p.m. “It looks like some of the remnants will should skip the valley.”

The risk of rain is expected to rise from 20% early Sunday to 30 to 40% on Sunday afternoon, Peters said.

A week of possible afternoon/evening rain is forecast for the Las Vegas Valley in a “textbook monsoon” situation, according to the weather service.

“The high pressure is set up over the four corners, a southeast flow to bring the moisture from northern Mexico and moisture coming up the Colorado River Valley,” said meteorologist Jenn Varian. “It’s all the ingredients.”

A Sunday high of 103 is forecast.

Highs during the coming week will be around 105 before declining to 99 by next Friday. Overnight lows will me in the upper or mid 80s.

McCarran rain less than half of normal

The official weather station at McCarran International Airport has received 0.18 of an inch of rain so far in July, but the monsoon season that has been largely missing for the past two summers appears to be right on time to possibly add to the annual total that is 1.05 inches, less than half of normal 2.27 inches.

“The first or second week of July is when monsoon season normally starts,” Varian said.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.

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