Storm cools valley; more rain on way

Friday, April 2, 2004 | 11:42 a.m.

The showers, winds and brief lightning Thuirsday night over the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas caused temperatures to drop by about 10 degrees from Wednesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Donald Maker said.

As of 4 a.m. today, the storm had dropped 0.12 of an inch of rain into the official rain gauge at McCarran International Airport; an estimated 0.38 of an inch had fallen by 10 a.m., weather service meteorologists said this morning.

But the soft sprinkle appeared to cause little trouble, in marked contrast to last month's tempest, officials said.

No localized flooding had been reported Friday morning, said Betty Hollister, spokeswoman for the Clark County Regional Flood Control District.

Nevada Highway Patrol spokeswoman Angie Wolff said she was "shocked" that there were only nine wrecks, none of them serious, between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Showers, a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoons and cooler temperatures will persist throughout the weekend, as the storm system has enough cold air in it to deliver snow in the Spring Mountains above 7,000 feet, Maker said.

archive