Southern Nevada braces for snow

Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2002 | 9:56 a.m.

An unusually large, cold Pacific storm was expected to bring 1 to 2 inches of snow, chilling winds and possibly icy conditions to Southern Nevada today, National Weather Service forecasters say.

The weather service has issued a winter storm watch through this evening, for Southern Nevada, Southern California and eastern Arizona, National Weather Service meteorologist John Adair said. "We're hoping for a pretty good system ... a good, memorable one."

Forecasters expected this morning's clear skies to cloud up early this afternoon and to start dumping snow by rush hour and into the evening. The National Weather Service gave a 60 percent chance of snow for the Las Vegas Valley.

"People think they can predict the weather," retired state climatologist John James said. "However, nature always surprises us."

Skies are expected to clear tonight, but temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-20s overnight. A low of 28 is predicted. The cold air will remain through Wednesday,forecasters said.

Thunderstorms could rumble into Nye County and Clark County this afternoon, meteorologist Paul Skrbac said. If it snows during the predicted lightning storm, the valley would experience what meteorologists call "thunder snow," he said.

A major snowfall occurs in the Las Vegas Valley about every five years, and "this storm has the potential to (produce a major snowfall)," James said.

Snow last accumulated on the Las Vegas Strip Dec. 6, 1998, and forced the closure of U.S. 95 near downtown.

Southern Nevada received about an inch on Feb. 25, 1996. The most recent snowfall before that -- 1.4 inches -- occurred Feb. 19, 1990, James said.

Over the past 25 years, when it snows in the valley, the flakes usually arrive in January or February, James' records show.

The largest snowfall in a 24-hour period -- 9 inches -- occurred in January 1974. Total snowfall that month was 13.4 inches.

January 1949 was the snowiest month recorded in Las Vegas. A total of 16.7 inches fell, James said.

A foot of snow fell on Dec. 21, 1909, giving the valley the look and temperatures of a midwestern December, James said. Back then snowfall was measured by C.P. "Pop" Squires, who kept a watchful, but unofficial, eye on the weather before National Weather Service records were kept, James said.

By New Year's Eve 1909 temperatures had soared and widespread flooding washed away most of the railroad tracks that ran through Las Vegas.