Storm wreaks havoc on valley

Thursday, March 26, 1998 | 9:55 a.m.

An El Nino-enhanced storm has dumped up to an inch of rain on some parts of the valley, causing numerous auto accidents, flooding roads and hampering rescue efforts of a rental boat that was lost on Lake Mead.

National Park Service Rangers searched through the stormy night for two women who failed to return a 19-foot rental boat Wednesday afternoon to the Cottonwood Cove Marina before locating them at 5:45 a.m. today.

"Visibility at times was less than 15 feet," ranger spokeswoman Karen Whitney said, noting that the boat had hit an underwater obstacle and was disabled.

The women, Donna and Sara Cabot of Wells, were found unharmed about three miles north of Cottonwood Cove Marina.

After striking the submerged obstacle, they made it safely to Two Dollar Cove and had attempted to walk back to the Marina before opting to stop during the storm, seek shelter and huddle in a sleeping bag and blanket they had brought with them, Whitney said.

Rangers found the beached boat at 5 a.m., and began combing the area with six boats, 22 rangers and the ranger helicopter and found the women on the shore of Lake Mojave.

Accidents on rain-slicked Las Vegas streets caused traffic snarls and road closures. An accident at Interstate 15 and U.S. 95 closed the westbound freeway onramp to the interstate through early this morning.

The Charleston Underpass, as it usually does during significant rainstorms, was closed to flooding through early today.

Of the 17 fender benders the Nevada Highway Patrol responded to between 2 and 9 p.m. Wednesday, 14 were during the rain and 12 happened in the I-15- Sahara Avenue area, said Trooper Steve Harney.

While rain was expected to clear up today and Friday, another storm front is moving in for this weekend.

"It won't bring in as much moisture, but it will be a lot colder," National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Schlott said. "The high Saturday is expected to be around 56 degrees, while the high Sunday is expected to be about 47. Normal for this time of year is 71."

While the overnight storm was caused by El Nino, a worldwide phenomenon resulting from unusually warm waters in the Pacific off South America, this weekend's cold system will not be El Nino-enhanced, Schlott said.

Instead, it will be a trough of low pressure coming in from the Northwest. It is expected to bring light showers Saturday and Sunday.

The overnight storm dusted Mount Charleston with several inches of snow.

"We expect to see a lot more people up here this weekend because of it," said Pam Burkman, a desk clerk at the Mount Charleston Resort and a resident of the mountain. "They are clearing the roads now.

"Lee Canyon (ski area) is expecting a good base through Easter. That's also good news for us."

Officially, 0.61 of an inch of rain fell at the weather service monitors at McCarran International Airport, bringing the year-to-date total to 3.80 inches. Normal for this time of year is 1.33 inches.

The Regional Flood Control District reported that unofficially an inch of rain fell at Angel Park.

Winds also gusted during the storm. An official gust of 41 mph was reported at the airport. An unofficial gust of 41 mph also was reported at East Carey Avenue.

The storm system was expected to move toward Arizona today. Early Wednesday it drenched San Diego and Los Angeles before moving into Las Vegas during the afternoon, darkening what had been blue and sunny skies.