More T-storms might light up the weekend

Friday, Aug. 3, 2001 | 9:27 a.m.

Lightning lit up skies surrounding the Las Vegas Valley Thursday evening, but less than an inch of rain fell as the line of summer storms rumbled through Southern Nevada.Weather forecasters gave a chance for more afternoon and evening thunderstorms through the weekend, but a Pacific Northwest storm system pushing into the area could clear Las Vegas skies, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperature was expected to reach about 102 degrees today, unless clouds cover the valley early, weather service meteorologist Jim Harrison said.

This summer Southern Nevada has been caught between moist air from the southeast and drier southwestern flows, he said.

"We're right on the battle line," Harrison said.

Southern Nevada experiences summer thunderstorms known as Southwest monsoons. Humid air sweeps in from Mexico, combining with daytime heating that ignites the late-day storms. This weather pattern normally ends about mid-September.

The thunderheads may skirt the valley the way they have most of this summer, delivering their stormy relief to the surrounding mountains of Arizona and Southern California, Harrison said.

Late Thursday afternoon thunderheads dumped up to 3/4 of an inch of rain on the east side of the valley from Lake Mead to Boulder Highway. In the southern end of the valley, between 1/4 and 1/3 of an inch of rain fell. The Lone Mountain area in northwest Las Vegas received 1/3 of an inch.

About 8 p.m. on Thursday the Weather Service reported a line of thunderstorms stretching about 100 miles southward from Las Vegas to Needles, Calif., bringing a natural fireworks show after dark.

The storms subsided by midnight, but forecasters said heat from sunlight falling on the valley combined with high levels of moisture already in the air could bring a repeat performance this afternoon and tonight.