Rain expected throughout day

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2005 | 9:44 a.m.

Thunderstorms rumbled into Henderson and eastern parts of the Las Vegas Valley Monday night and rain showers are expected throughout the valley today, the National Weather Service reported.

About a tenth of an inch of rain fell overnight, mostly in the west part of the valley near Sahara Avenue and Fort Apache Road, said Charles Bell, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Las Vegas.

He said residents in Las Vegas can expect to see fast-moving showers during the day in all parts of the valley.

"There will be a lot of showers throughout the day," he said.

A lot of rainfall is not expected because they showers will be travelling quickly across the valley, Bell said.

Barry Pierce, a National Weather Service meteorologist, agreed, saying there's a better chance of rain along with the thunder and lightning for Southern Nevada today and this evening.

Raindrops drizzled across windshields in Green Valley on Monday, but nothing measurable fell, the Weather Service said.

The reason for better chances of rain today is an area of low pressure spinning clockwise off the California coast drawing more moisture from the Gulf of California into Southern Nevada, Pierce said.

However, humidity levels were still in the teens as the lightning lit up skies south of the Las Vegas Valley Monday night, Pierce said.

Weather Service meteorologists were also watching a possible threat of wildfires igniting from dry lightning strikes in the mountains surrounding Las Vegas.

The Clark County Fire Department this morning and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that there no fires this morning.

By Wednesday the thunderclouds and any showers should be north of Las Vegas, when a cooler and drier weather pattern returns to Southern Nevada.

Temperatures should be in the high 80s during the day and drop to about 70 degrees overnight.