Clear skies expected for Easter

Friday, April 9, 2004 | 9:35 a.m.

Sunshine and clear skies are in store for Easter sunrise services and egg hunts this weekend, despite Thursday's stormy afternoon, National Weather Service forecasters said.

North winds are expected to increase tonight, dropping lows in the Las Vegas Valley to the lower 50s and daytime highs this weekend to the mid- to high 70s, Weather Service meteorologist Larry Jensen said.

Over the weekend high pressure should bring clear skies, warmer temperatures and no chance of rain, Jensen said.

"A ridge of high pressure will begin to build over the region Sunday for a slight warming trend," Jensen said.

The sunshine through the weekend will be quite a change from Thursday, when lightning struck in the mountains before brief rainbows broke through.

Black clouds swirled around the valley, but the baseball season opener of the Las Vegas 51s went off without a hitch at Cashman Field.

The spring storm that raked Southern Nevada Thursday afternoon dropped less than an inch of rain at its height in the north and west edges of the Las Vegas Valley, Weather Service meteorologist Donald Maker said.

Thunderheads towered over the northwestern mountains, and winds up to 20 mph with gusts to 33 mph struck the valley after 4 p.m. as rains fell in time to slicken the roads for rush hour traffic.

As the wind and showers arrived, the Spring Mountains disappeared behind a curtain of dust and rainfall.

Metro Police reported fender benders, including a five-car pileup on East Sahara Avenue, but there were no major injuries from any of the accidents.

The official rainfall total for Thursday is 0.01 of an inch at McCarran International Airport, Maker said.

Other areas received a bit more rain: 0.2 of an inch in Logan Wash, northeast of Las Vegas, and 0.16 of an inch in the Kyle Canyon detention basin northwest of Las Vegas, Maker said.