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Sunny Saturday: Good weekend to be blessed by Las Vegas weather

A sunny Saturday is forecast for the Las Vegas Valley before wet conditions possibly return Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The high should be near 59 with light winds. Clouds will increase and a 30 percent chance of rain is expected Sunday, increasing to 50 percent Sunday night.

The rain and colder-than-normal temperatures are forecast to continue through most of Super Bowl week. Rain is forecast Monday through Friday.

Sunday, the day of the 58th edition of the big game, is forecast to be mostly sunny.

California, Sierras threatened

Weather to the valley’s west and south won’t be nearly as hospitable.

Conditions could reach extreme and even life-threatening situations. Heavy snowfall is expected in the Sierra Nevadas while torrential rainfall could cause massive flooding in Southern California.

Meteorologist Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather senior director of forecasting operations stated, “Roughly 94 percent of California’s population, up to 37 million people, is at risk for life-threatening flooding. Due to the numerous mountains and hills, even just a few inches of rain can cause significant flooding. The greatest risk of a widespread flooding disaster is expected across the canyons and hills of southern California, especially in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.”

A winter storm warning runs from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Monday for many areas all the way up to Lake Tahoe and west.

Snow could fall at a rate of 2 inches per hour along the Sierras with wind gusts to 85 mph on the peaks. Some areas may receive 3 to 6 feet of snow.

Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. Very strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines.

More white for mountains

Mount Charleston is expected to get considerable accumulation from the incoming storm.

Lee Canyon received 20 inches of snow in the past 48 hours as of Friday night and 9 inches fell in the past 12 hours.

The incoming storm could bring 4-8 inches of new snow on Sunday, 7-11 inches on Monday and 4-8 inches on Monday night, says the weather service.

That’s more than 2 feet if all maximums are reached.

The parking situation is much better since Lee Canyon added a new lot. People need to be prepared for winter driving conditions with chains on the car or snow tires. Remember to check nvroads.com.

If visitors do not have a season pass, they should purchase a day pass online in advance of their visit.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VegasMarvRJ on X.

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