Valley weathers an active monsoon season

Afsha Bawany

Friday, Sept. 19, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

This year's monsoon season was active and wet, but only one huge thunderstorm in August caused flash flooding in the Las Vegas Valley, damaging many homes and businesses in the northwest part of the valley, according to the National Weather Service.

Between July and September, the Weather Service registered 15 official thunderstorm days, compared with an average of nine. The city did not break any temperature records for the entire summer, but July 2003 was the wettest July on record and the hottest, reaching average 94.8 degrees, the Weather Service said. Four days between July 9 and 16 were 114 degrees or hotter.

On 16 consecutive days during the summer, highs reached 105 degrees or more, compared with the record of 21. The total rainfall for August was 0.83 inches, which was almost double the normal for the month.

June was the driest month this year, with less than a tenth of an inch of rain measured at the official Weather Service station at McCarran International Airport.

In July eventually enough moisture found its way to Southern Nevada to produce the first thunderstorm of the summer on July 16, kicking off the Las Vegas monsoon season. For the rest of the month thunderstorms developed daily around the region with a total of eight thunderstorm days, according to the Weather Service. A total of 1.08 inches fell during this month.

On Aug. 19 thunderstorms developed over the northwest part of the city, causing rainfall of over 2 1/2 inches in only 25 minutes. Most of the flash floods occurred in that area.

Little rain fell in the rest of the valley and the total rainfall for the month was 0.83 inches, the Weather Service said.

In September thunderstorms occurred in the beginning of the mont, producing lightning storms and intense rain at McCarran. By Sept. 5 the air dried out, ending the summer of storms.