Cloudy sky, cooler temps expected before weekend rain
A streak of 60-degree days will come to an end Thursday as mild conditions chill in advance of what may be a the first wet — and possibly very wet — New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas in nearly 80 years.
The Thursday high should be around 56 with increasing clouds, according to the National Weather Service. Winds will be light and variable.
The Friday morning low will be around 43 before rising to a high near 58.
NYE rain expected
Las Vegas has not received significant rain on New Year’s Day since .21 of an inch fell in 1943. The 79-year streak could end Saturday when rain is forecast, mainly after 4 p.m.
The latest forecast puts the best chance of rain after 10 p.m. with a probability of 90 percent, and calls for up to .25 of an inch during the heaviest hours of rainfall.
“Up to a half-inch of rain or more overnight is not out of the question,” said meteorologist Ashley Nickerson.
The exact timing could change, but rain close to or during the largely outdoors New Year’s Eve celebration with an estimated 400,000 attendees appears likely.
Rain won’t be the only issue. Winds could gust 30 to 35 mph. Snowfall of 4 to 8 inches is likely in the Spring Mountains.
Morning showers are possible Sunday before skies clear with more rain forecast next week.
In 2014, the official measuring station at the Las Vegas airport recorded a trace of precipitation with snow flurries observed on New Year’s Eve. A .01 of an inch of rain was recorded in 2005.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.