Weather service issues flood watch for southern parts of Clark County

Wednesday, July 14, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

A flood watch has been issued for southern Clark County and the Lake Mead National Recreation area through 9 tonight, the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said early today.

The watch, which also is in effect for Northwest Arizona, including all of Mohave County, and Southeast California, including San Bernardino County east of Barstow, is the result of atmospheric destabilization and increasing moisture streams into the area, the weather service said.

That, weather officials said, could result in storms developing and moving slowly, increasing the storm's ability "to produce locally heavy rain."

However, weather officials say that a flood watch means only that flash flooding is possible, not imminent. They say people traveling in the watch area should be aware of the possibility for heavy rainfall and flash flooding. If conditions worsen, a flash flood warning could be issued.

Meanwhile, the heat in the Las Vegas Valley is hanging around as the humidity and the chance of thunderstorms increase today, the National Weather Service said.

After morning clouds moved away Tuesday afternoon, the valley hit 105 degrees, weather service meteorologist Jim Harrison said.

Today's high is expected to reach 104 degrees. There is a chance of afternoon and evening thundershowers today as the Southwest monsoon spreads moister air through Arizona into Nevada, Harrison said.

Low temperatures into the weekend are expected to stay in the mid-80s because of the extra humidity and cloud cover.

Tropical storm Blas, south of the Gulf of California, may add some more moisture to the mix, but Harrison said the storm was weakening Tuesday night.

"The tropical storm is not expected to have a major impact," Harrison said.

Depending on how fast the tropical storm moves north and east and how fast the monsoon tracks north through Arizona, Southern Nevada could see some showers early Thursday morning, Harrison said.

A trace of rain fell in the southeast valley Tuesday morning, but was not significant enough of an amount to rate a measurement.

That sprinkle came from clouds left over from thunderstorms that hit Phoenix Monday night, following a dust storm through the city.

A chance of thunderstorms for Las Vegas remains in the forecast through the weekend, especially in the southeastern valley.