Colder weather returns with the winds

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001 | 11:09 a.m.

Winds gusting up to 54 mph on Tuesday blew debris from the Monte Carlo hotel onto Las Vegas Boulevard, closing the Strip for about an hour and ushering in the return of colder winter temperatures for at least a week.

Winds tore metal parts and some roofing paper from the Monte Carlo's marquee about 5:30 p.m. Metro Police closed the southbound lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard to traffic from Flamingo Road to Tropicana Avenue and later closed the northbound lanes.

A worker climbed up on the sign and cut the hanging piece off. Metro Police then opened the Strip after an hour.

The 54 mph gust was recorded at McCarran International Airport about 5:44 p.m., National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Schlott said today.

The winds raised dust levels in the Las Vegas Valley, as well as tree pollen. The Clark County Health District issued an advisory on Tuesday to warn residents of possible irritation to sensitive people with chronic lung disease from airborne dust due to the winds.

Although the wind had subsided to between 10 and 15 mph this morning, colder air plunged south from Alaska and brought the threat of showers in the valley late today and 1 to 3 inches of new snow at Mount Charleston.

Overnight the snow level could reach 2500 feet, meaning a possible dusting of snowflakes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Summerlin, Schlott said.

As if dust from the gusty winds was not insult enough, allergy sufferers are already sneezing and wheezing from tree pollen appearing with the warmer weather over the weekend.

Juniper and cedar trees began producing pollen in January, said Monty Symmonds of the health district's Air Quality Division.

Samples of pollen collected on Sunday showed moderate levels of the tree pollen in the the Las Vegas Valley. Last week collection sites in Boulder City indicated very high levels of both cedar and juniper pollen, ranging from 6,000 to 9,000 grains per cubic yard of air.

But even if the measurements are only 50 to 100 grains, that is still enough pollen to irritate a sensitive person, Symmonds said.

Once the pines and fir trees peak with their pollen production, mulberry trees are expected to bloom next month, followed by olive trees and then grasses, Symmonds said. Although there is a ban on planting olive trees that produce large amounts of pollen, older trees spew more grains each year.

If Southern Nevada continues to have spring rains similar to last week's sprinkles, that could mean considerably more pollen, extending the allergy season.

In addition to plant pollens, rain showers will increase fungal spores such as smut in the air, Symmonds said. That would cause more suffering than usual among people sensitive to those particles, he said. Sun reporter