Storms pelt Las Vegas Valley, Mount Charleston sees snow — PHOTOS

Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Jeff Schneider shakes a tree full of snow near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack [Schneider], so we made a plan to come up here," Cassae Overton (not pictured) said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Zack Schneider winds up to throw a snowball at his brother, Jeff, near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Cassea Overton (not pictured) said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Jeff Schneider, right, throws snow at his brother Zack Schneider near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Cassae Overton (not pictured) said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Zack Schneider looks around a tree to throw a snowball at Cassea Overton near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Overton said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Zack Schneider winds up to throw a snowball near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Cassae Overton (not pictured) said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Zack Schneider pushes Cassea Overton in her sled while Jeff Schneider sleds in the background near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Overton said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Zack Schneider looks to throw a snowball at his brother, Jeff Schneider, while Cassea Overton, right, prepares a snowball near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Overton said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Jeff Schneider tries to put snow on his brother Zack’s face near the Cathedral Rock trailhead at Mount Charleston on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. "I heard my brother talking about the weather at Mt. Charleston and all the snow and I mentioned it to Zack, so we made a plan to come up here," Cassae Overton (not pictured) said. "It was a pretty last-minute decision. It was a ton of fun playing in the snow." Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

First-grade teacher Shereen Sayegh watches as students arrive at St. Viator Elementary School on a rainy morning on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, in Las Vegas. Tuesday shows a forecast high of 69 degrees, breezes and a 40 percent chance of rain. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye

The silhouette of the Stratosphere hotel-casino on an unusually rainy day on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

A shaft of light breaking through the dark clouds as seen from Volunteer Boulevard in Henderson Tuesday, May 1, 2018. Tuesday shows a forecast high of 69 degrees, breezes and a 40 percent chance of rain. Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye

A pedestrian who declined to give his name crosses Sixth Street at Ogden Avenue in light rain in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, May 1, 2018. K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal @KMCannonPhoto

Members of the Arbor View varsity softball team share an umbrella after their game was cancelled due to rain at Arbor View High School in Las Vegas Tuesday, May 1, 2018. K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal @KMCannonPhoto

Cars drive through flooded streets on West Sirius Avenue and Rancho Drive on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, in Las Vegas. Benjamin Hager Las Vegas Review-Journal @benjaminhphoto

May came in like a lion Tuesday, as lightning flashed and thunderstorms pelted parts of the Las Vegas Valley, and snow covered higher-elevation areas on Mount Charleston.

Lightning was seen throughout the western valley, and flashes also were reported with storms over the central and south valley, the National Weather Service said.

“So it’s basically everywhere,” meteorologist Chelsea Kryston said.

McCarran International Airport received about 0.24 inches of rain in a 24-hour span, Kryston said. Rain fell harder in other parts of the valley, however, as Summerlin saw about 0.27 inches, Centennial Hills recorded about 0.31 inches and southeast Henderson received 0.42 inches.

The weather service issued a flood advisory late Tuesday that was set to end at 10:15 p.m.

Snow also fell on Mount Charleston, although the weather service said it will not have a measurement for Tuesday’s snowfall until Wednesday morning.

Over the last 30 years, more than 5 inches of snow has accumulated on Mount Charleston just six times during the month of May, meteorologist Ashley Wolf said.

“We might get close to that,” Wolf said earlier Tuesday.

The mountain’s record for snow in May was 10 inches, which all fell on May 7, 1986, Kryston said.

The snowfall record for May 1 is 3 inches, measured in 1983, she said.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain. Isolated thunderstorms could form into Wednesday evening, Kryston said.

Wednesday’s morning low should drop to 54 degrees, the weather service said, and the high for the day should be 69. After the rain passes, the valley skies are expected to clear up with light winds.

Warmer temperatures will return to the valley with a 81-degree high Thursday and an 88-degree high Friday, the weather service said.

Hot, partly cloudy weather will return by the weekend. Saturday’s high is expected to be 93, and Sunday’s high could climb to 96 degrees.

“It should be a warm, nice weekend,” Kryston said.

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writers Mike Shoro and Blake Apgar contributed to this report.