Las Vegas Area Hit by Strong Winds and Travel Warnings as High Wind Alert Is Issued

This weekend, residents and visitors in the Las Vegas area should prepare for windy weather and some travel delays. The Las Vegas National Weather Service (NWS) has predicted that the region would experience severe winds today and into tonight, with the “strongest winds occurring near the Southern Sierra and the Spring Mountains.” A Pacific System that is coming onshore and is expected to pass across the Rockies by tomorrow is connected to the blustery weather.

The NWS issued a High Wind Warning for the Eastern Sierra/Owens Valley yesterday in place of its Wind Advisory, and it will be in force until 4 AM PST tomorrow. In the Spring Mountains, gusts of up to 69 mph have been seen at Angel Peak. Mountain regions are not the only places experiencing windy weather; the central Las Vegas Valley is also anticipated to have “gusts of 25 to 35 mph.” Two large rigs were reported to have been flipped along Highway 395 near Olancha due to strong downslope winds, according to a statement released by the National Weather Service.

While rain and snow are forecast to be lesser on the lower slopes and Owens Valley, higher elevation snowfall on the Sierra crest is predicted along with the winds. Due to the boundary layer being mixed by the winds, the temperature in Las Vegas proper is expected to soar to the lower 70s today before falling by 8 to 10 degrees tomorrow.

The longer-term forecast is clouded by uncertainty as patterns change starting Monday and continuing into the next week. Everyone agrees that temperatures will cool, but as a positively-tilted trough approaches in the middle of the week, concerns are raised. The National Weather Service reported that “21% of global ensemble members delay the onset of the positively-tilted trough moving through the region until Thursday at the earliest with some solutions offering an even later passage.” The Eastern Sierra Slopes are under a Winter Storm Watch, which will be in effect from 10 PM tomorrow until 10 AM on Wednesday. Depending on how much the system weakens as it moves across the range, the forecast becomes less certain further east of the Sierra.

Over the course of the weekend, aviation interests, particularly Harry Reid International Airport, can anticipate strong gusts and changes in wind patterns. Winds are predicted to increase throughout the day, reaching gusts of up to 35 knots, and they are predicted to continue until the first half of next week. It is recommended that pilots be ready for unforeseen circumstances and the difficulties that may arise during flight operations.

As the area contends with the season’s first strong gusts and possible snowfall, NWS urges spotters to report major weather impacts.

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