Month Wetter than Usual, about Average for Temperatures

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Las Vegas, which has barely had enough rain to moisten a blotter since the summer began, came in with 0.79 of an inch of rain, 0.36 of an inch more than average.

"The eastern slopes of the Sierra got the most precipitation with over 4 inches at some sites and several inches of snow above 7,000 feet," James said on Monday. "Pioche had 3 inches and Carson City had the same amount in the west."

Reno stopped at 0.89 of an inch, just 0.02 of an inch above normal.

While the water year is just two months old and is just now entering its traditionally soggy months, most of the state is at or above average for the October-November period, extending an almost historic wet spell.

Back-to-back years of above average precipitation have occurred only a handful of times since records began in Nevada, and the state is at least beginning a third one.

Elko's 1.36 inches of moisture last month was 0.25 of an inch above average and Ely totaled 0.98 of an inch, 0.31 of an inch more than normal. Only Winnemucca came in on the shy side, with 0.57 of an inch, 0.37 of an inch below normal.

"Temperatures were near or a little above normal this month and were coldest at month's end," James said.

Ely tied a record for Nov. 30 at 1 degree below zero. Reno cooled to 16 above and normally balmy Las Vegas dipped to 37, just 5 degrees away from freezing. A dip in Lake Mead got a little nippy as its water temperature slipped to 62 degrees, James said.