Henderson, Summerlin see some showers as monsoon season nears
Nearly a third of an inch of rain fell near Henderson Executive Airport from a Tuesday afternoon thunderstorm.
“The strongest winds were about 44 mph near Anthem,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Planz. “We’ve had some moisture moving up the Colorado River Valley. You could call it monsoonal moisture combined with the heat.”
A flood control gauge showed .31 of an inch fell near Anthem and Bicentennial parkways with another at the south end of Anthem showing .16 of an inch.
Shortly before 4 p.m. there were lighter scattered showers over Summerlin that moved northeast.
Record heat to end month
Las Vegas Valley residents and visitors will scorch during the final week of June, a month for the early summer weather record books.
Through Sunday, the average daily high was 93.2 degrees, according to the Las Vegas office of the National Weather Service.
Best chance for T-storms, some with locally heavy rain thru Wednesday will remain over northwest Arizona. The storms are also capable of producing gusty winds. Stronger winds on Thursday and Friday will lead to elevated fire weather concerns. #nvwx #cawx #azwx pic.twitter.com/7rjn0Wfjnd
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) June 24, 2024
“The mean high so far for June is about 105 and rest of June (forecast) is all above 105 so that is only going to go up and barring a storm that dumps on the airport we will set the record for hottest June,” said meteorologist Matt Woods.
The Monday low was 91, well above the record of 87 set in 2003 and tied in 2017.
After a Monday high of 112, just a degree shy of the 113 (set in 1961 and tied in 2017), the Tuesday forecast called for a 10 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms after 2 p.m.
Most residents and visitors saw a high around 109 with sunny conditions. Wednesday is expected to reach around 111. South-southwest winds of 8-13 mph in the morning may escalate up to 22 mph.
Round up on June so far for some other locations. Bishop CA - 3rd Warmest June (76.0°), Needles, CA - 5th Warmest (95.2°), Kingman, AZ - 2nd Warmest (82.4°) and Furnace Creek - 2nd Warmest (101.1°) #cawx #azwx
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) June 24, 2024
Possible relief
A Pacific Northwest system is expected to bring slight relief Thursday into the weekend, Woods explained. Highs around 106 to 108 are in the forecast.
“It will cool things down enough to scour out any moisture with drier and cooler air,” Woods said.
Fire warnings
The fire danger in the Spring Mountains has been elevated to extreme because the lack of moisture is causing grass and brush to dry to brittle conditions.
Fireworks are not allowed on federal land, but with the Fourth of July approaching, some people might be tempted to use them.
Fires are allowed in authorized fire pits, but visitors should always have water and shovels available, said Ray Johnson of the U.S. Forest Service.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.
