Wintry splendor quickly gone

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Dustin Robles and his friends went to the Red Rock Canyon Overlook on Monday afternoon looking for a snowball fight.

They would have to settle for a "snow rock" fight instead.

"I was hoping there would be a lot more than this," the 27-year-old said, looking around at the damp pavement as a few snowflakes fell.

Unfortunately for Robles and his friends, the fresh snow that blanketed the western Las Vegas Valley on Monday morning was gone almost as quickly as it had come.

By midday Monday, most of it had melted at the overlook, leaving only enough for crude "snow rocks," as Robles and his friends called them, and a couple of miniature snowmen that were more dirt and pebbles than snow.

Summerlin took the brunt of the storm, getting 2 to 3 inches during the few hours of morning snowfall, while communities farther south got about 1.5 inches.

The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort on Mount Charleston got about 13.6 inches by Monday evening.

Even the official weather station at McCarran International Airport got a trace of snow, which was a record because it had never snowed there on Jan. 3, according to the National Weather Service.

By Monday afternoon, most of the snow was gone and valley roads were clear. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for mostly sunny skies and higher temperatures, reaching the low-50s by Friday.

"It melted as quick as it fell," said Chris Stachelski of the National Weather Service.

In the morning, snowy conditions prompted the closure of state Route 160 at state Route 159 and at Lovell Canyon toward Pahrump. The road was reopened about 9:45 a.m.

Snow tires were recommended for state Routes 156, 157 and 158 on Mount Charleston.

The Las Vegas Beltway was closed to northbound traffic at the Summerlin Parkway onramp because of an accident, but it reopened late Monday morning.

Drivers were asked to use caution because of the slick roads.

Children in Pahrump, 60 miles west of Las Vegas, awoke to a recorded phone call telling them school was canceled for the day.

Snow blanketed Nye County’s largest town, with a report of 7 inches in part of the Pahrump Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

Nye County School District Superintendent Rob Roberts said he made the decision about 5:30 a.m. to cancel what was to be the first day of school in 2011.

"There’s no snowplow equipment to speak of and no sidewalks. It was a safety issue," Roberts said. "Whether or not we have to make the day up is another thing."

He said this marked just the second snow day for Pahrump in his eight years as superintendent.

Parents and employees were notified through an automated phone system that started making roughly 3,400 calls about 5:45 a.m.

Nye County also canceled classes in Beatty and Amargosa Valley, but the schools were open in the northern half of the district, where snowfall is a regular occurrence.

Standing at the Red Rock Canyon Overlook, Kenny and Diane Adamson snapped photos and marveled at the rocky snow-covered mountains in the distance.

The couple from Atlanta had just left behind the first white Christmas since 1882, and it appeared the weather followed them to Las Vegas, where they were visiting friend Joni Herron to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Kenny Adamson said it was 110 degrees the last time he visited Las Vegas.

"I lived in New York City … so this is nothing," he said about the snow. "But it’s crazy to have snow in the desert. That just blows my mind."

Review-Journal reporter Antonio Planas contributed to this report. Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281. Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.