Wind expected to intensify Thursday; Mount Charleston outage planned
Gusty winds of 30-35 mph are hitting most of the Las Vegas Valley as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and are expected to get stronger on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
“They will probably pick up a little more in the next few hours before sunset,” weather service meteorologist Chris Outler said. “On Thursday we expect them to be stronger, between 40 and 50 miles an hour from late morning through the afternoon.”
A gust of 36 mph was recorded at McCarran International Airport in the 5 o’clock hour while Henderson, North Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area had gusts in the low 30s, Outler said. Boulder City had a gust of 40 mph.
The official Thursday forecast calls for patchy blowing dust after 2 p.m. with sunny conditions. The high will be hear 87. South-southwest wind 15 to 20 mph will increase to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph.
A red flag warning is in place for the entire region through 5 a.m. Friday. A fire weather watch will run from 5 a.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Saturday, according to the weather service.
Mount Charleston outage possible
The wind conditions have NV Energy considering turning off electric service to the Mount Charleston area as a safety precaution to prevent wildfires, with a possible shut-off time now slated for Thursday afternoon.
The outage, if it takes place, would start at 1 p.m. and last 21 hours.
“This time frame includes the duration of the weather event and an estimate of how long it will take crews to inspect the lines for damage, vegetation or debris in order to begin safely restoring power,” the agency said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Please note that the restoration time may change based on weather conditions or if crews must make repairs to equipment.”
Affected customers have been notified. The outage may be changed or canceled, depending on weather.
Late Wednesday afternoon, NV Energy spokesperson Jennifer Schuricht said wind conditions continue to be monitored and that if plans for the 1 p.m. outage are changed, customers will be notified, including on NVenergy.com.
Power will remain on at the Mount Charleston Lodge and other critical systems, including the 911 system. Residents will be able to come to a customer resource center at the resort to get ice, snacks, to charge electronics and other assistance.
An afternoon high of 94 degrees was recorded at McCarran, and Outler said the Thursday high will drop into the mid-80s with a high around 74 on Friday. Southwest winds of 15 to 17 mph will see gusts as high as 26 mph.
There is a 10 percent chance of rain in the mountain areas on Friday, Outler said.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter. Review-Journal reporter Glenn Puit contributed to this report.
