Las Vegas locals and visitors need to keep their umbrellas at hand and their weather apps updated as monsoonal moisture is expected to bring scattered showers and likely storms today and tomorrow. The National Weather Service’s latest update cautions of flash flooding and gusty outflow winds accompanying some of these downpours. For folks already weary of the mugginess, there’s a silver lining—temperatures are predicted to swing back to near-normal over the weekend, with Las Vegas highs hovering in the low 100s.
Flash flooding has its sights set particularly on central Nye and Lincoln counties, where rain totals could reach the highest. While enthusiasts of occasional desert thunderstorms might be inclined to get carried away by the excitement, it’s worth putting to practice the age-old adage: “Turn around, don’t drown.” Gusty winds are also expected to add to the weather mix, so securing outdoor objects and driving with extra caution would be wise. According to the National Weather Service, “Gusty outflow winds are also a hazard with any storms that form.”
As the weekend progresses, a shift in conditions will see the emergence of breezier southwesterly winds and drier skies as a trough takes residence off the West Coast. While the chances for impactful winds seem modest at under 30%, this doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of landscape-changing gusts. Residents living in areas that escape the rains this weekend should be mindful of fire weather warnings that might come into effect…