Winter storm warning in effect

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003 | 9:09 a.m.

Southern Nevada is under its first winter storm warning of 2003, with up to 18 inches of snow expected on Mount Charleston and a quarter of an inch of rain in the Las Vegas Valley through tonight.

The region's weather forced the search for pieces of the shuttle Columbia to be postponed for the second consecutive day as snow levels in Lincoln County, 170 miles north of Las Vegas, dropped to 4,500 feet overnight.

As predicted by the National Weather Service, a strong storm system forming off the central California's coast came into Southern Nevada Monday night.

The rain total so far for this year is 0.91 of an inch, which is about normal for this time of year, forecasters said. A quarter to a half inch of rain was expected in the valley from this storm, which could last through tonight.

Mount Charleston had rain all day Monday, but Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort was reporting seven to 10 inches of accumulated snow this morning.

Snowflakes today could fall as low as Red Rock Canyon as the snow levels drop to around 4,500 feet.

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-50s today and the mid-40s tonight.

Showers could continue into Wednesday before the storm sweeps out of the area.

Once this storm system moves east into Utah and Arizona, the valley will clear out Thursday and Friday, with some clouds hanging around, the Weather Service said.

The next chance for rain is Saturday from another system forming offshore, forecasters said.