Monsoon season arrives; more storms are possible

Thursday, July 17, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

The Southwest monsoon season arrived in Southern Nevada on Wednesday, as a curtain of dust descended, rain splashed on the parched desert and lightning streaked across the sky.

It was the first time the Las Vegas Valley had experienced measurable rain in 70 days. The National Weather Service officially recorded 0.17 of an inch. The last time Las Vegas recorded rain was 0.01 of an inch on May 7, putting the valley 0.44 of an inch ahead of the normal 2.86 inches for that time of year.

Two weather-related power outages knocked out electricity to 1,450 Nevada Power customers late Wednesday afternoon and evening as thunderstorms rolled across the valley.

Metro Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol also reported numerous fender-benders, but no major injury accidents from the slick roads.

The National Weather Service reported the official high at McCarran International Airport was 111 degrees Wednesday before the storm arrived.

A second batch of thunderheads moved into the valley about 9:30 p.m., Weather Service meteorologist Barry Pierce said.

While the area officially received 0.17 of an inch at McCarran International Airport, a Clark County Regional Flood Control District gauge in Green Valley captured more than 0.2 of an inch, and a detention basin in Sun City Anthem in southern Henderson recorded 0.31 inch of an inch, Pierce said.

But fractions of an inch of rain in Southern Nevada won't begin to break the drought-related water shortage, Pierce said. It will take several years of above-average snowfalls in the Rocky Mountains, source of the Colorado River, to do that.

Today the valley could have more isolated storms, but on Friday, if the remnants of hurricane Claudette get trapped in the air flow blowing from Mexico, Las Vegas could see more rain, Pierce said.

Although the humidity is increasing, the high for today is expected to reach 105 degrees, with the continued chance of thunderstorms in the forecast.

Winds gusting to 40 mph in some parts of the valley brought at least two significant power outages Wednesday. One outage included 900 customers, most of them commercial enterprises such as the Excaliber, Tropicana and San Remo hotels, Nevada Power spokeswoman Sonya Headen said.

"Crews are on site trying to make repairs," Headen said at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday.

At the Excaliber, the outdoor neon sign had been blacked out, she said. Strip hotels and casinos have backup generators to keep the lights on inside the resorts.

Another outage affected 550 customers in eastern Las Vegas between Mojave Road and Eastern Avenue near Charleston Boulevard.

Both of those outages were weather related, Headen said. All power had been restored before 8 p.m. Wednesday, she said.

A third problem began about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when a Nevada Power subcontractor knocked over two power poles south of Vegas Drive and west of Decatur Boulevard.

About 750 customers were affected, including traffic signals as far south as Desert Inn Road.