Las Vegas Got More Than a Third of its Annual Rainfall in Just Four Days
Context:
Las Vegas experienced an unprecedented weather event when a storm system brought over a third of its annual rainfall in just four days, marking the wettest May on record. The heavy rains and thunderstorms, unusual for May in the Mojave Desert, were due to a slow-moving low-pressure system that combined with Pacific moisture. Streets flooded in the Las Vegas area, with significant water flow through the Linq hotel and casino garage, and a man was tragically swept away by floodwaters in Henderson. The storm system also generated severe weather warnings throughout the eastern Mojave Desert and caused a dust storm in Mohave County, Arizona. The weather began to clear as the storm moved out, with forecasts predicting dry and warm conditions in the following days.
Dive Deeper:
Las Vegas recorded its wettest May in history with 1.44 inches of rain in four days, surpassing the previous record of 0.96 inches set in 1969, and receiving more than a third of its annual average rainfall in this short period.
A low-pressure system from the north settled over the Mojave Desert, a region that typically sees minimal rainfall in May, bringing continuous rain from Saturday to Monday and severe thunderstorms on Tuesday.
The storm system caused widespread flooding, with water inundating streets and flowing through the parking garage of the Linq hotel and casino, highlighting the challenges of water drainage in such an arid environment.
In a tragic incident, a man in Henderson was swept away by floodwaters flowing into a wash, an area designed to handle heavy rain runoff, and efforts to locate him were unsuccessful as of Wednesday morning.
The weather service issued several severe thunderstorm warnings due to the heavy rains and hail, with impacts felt from east San Bernardino County, California, to Bullhead City, Arizona.
A dust storm, or haboob, was reported in Mohave County, Arizona, as thunderstorms stirred up dust from a dry lake bed, demonstrating the diverse weather phenomena associated with the storm.
As the storm system moved out on Wednesday, forecasts predicted a return to typical dry and warm conditions with temperatures rising into the 90s over the weekend, marking the end of the unusual weather event.