Las Vegas – After a staggering 214 days without any measurable rainfall, the Las Vegas Valley finally saw some drizzle.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service recorded 0.01 inch of rain at Harry Reed International Airport, ending one of the longest dry spells in the city’s history.
This marks the first time in 88 years that Las Vegas has gone more than 200 days without rain, according to the National Weather Service. The last significant rainfall in the area was seven months ago, before July 13th, 2024.
While this dry spell broke records, the city’s longest stretch without measurable rain remains at 240 days, a drought that occurred in 2020.
The current winter season is uncharacteristically warm and dry in the region.
Almost all of southern Nevada is currently facing “extreme” drought conditions. The US drought monitors release color-coded maps weekly to show the severity of drought conditions nationally.
The most recent drought monitor map shows that over 88% of the state is experiencing some level of drought, with around 21% facing “extreme” or “exceptional” dryness.
Thursday’s rain extended across desert areas in the southwest, affecting much of southern Nevada, as well as parts of California and Arizona.
The Las Vegas branch of the Meteorological Bureau stated that due to months of dry weather, the exact amount of rainfall from this event remains uncertain. According to x.
Higher elevations are expecting snow, with winter storm warnings in place for Nevada’s Spring Mountain area until Friday afternoon. Weather services predict 12-24 inches of snow in the mountains, with snowfall potentially reaching above 8,000 feet.
The precipitation is part of a storm system moving through southern Nevada on Thursday and Friday.
The Weather Service forecasts Las Vegas could receive 0.5-0.9 inches of rain over the two days.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
