Storms still in forecast for Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar (contact)

Published Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 5:27 a.m.

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 6:24 p.m.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms could bring periods of heavy rain and flash flooding tonight to the Las Vegas Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service says the area will have mostly cloudy skies tonight, with the low around 85 degrees. The chance for precipitation is 20 percent.

The weather service had issued a flood advisory from 2:40 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. today for south-central Clark County as thunderstorms produced heavy rain in an area near Jean in southern Nevada down south to Mountain Pass in California, where 1.5 inches of rain was recorded between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., the weather service said.

However, those thunderstorms dissipated as they moved north and didn't make it into the Las Vegas Valley. But they helped to keep out the normal afternoon heat.

Today's high temperature reached only 99 degrees at McCarran International Airport. The normal high for today is 105 degrees and the record is 115, set in 1942.

A line of showers and thunderstorms rumbled through Las Vegas Wednesday night and early this morning, bringing nearly a half-inch of rain to some areas.

Showers and thunderstorms moved into the southeast side of the Las Vegas Valley shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday. Those storms moved northwest before weakening about midnight as they reached the west side of the valley, the weather service said.

Several thunderstorms that developed over Sunrise and Frenchman mountains moved west-northwest across the north side of the valley just after midnight before leaving the valley about 1 a.m. today near Centennial Hills, the weather service said.

The heaviest rain fell in two areas -- the southeast side of the valley and the north side, the weather service said.

Rainfall totals were as follows:

-- North Las Vegas, at Craig and Losee, 0.46 of an inch.

-- Cheyenne and Interstate 15 area, 0.31.

-- Pittman Wash at Wigman, 0.31.

-- Gowan Outfall Channel, 0.28.

-- Las Vegas Boulevard and Cheyenne, 0.21.

-- North Las Vegas at Ann Road, 0.20.

-- Desert Inn and Las Vegas Boulevard, 0.12.

-- Duck Creek at Tomiyasu Lane, 0.12.

-- North Las Vegas at Craig and Decatur, 0.10.

-- Flamingo Wash at Eastern, 0.08.

-- Flamingo Wash at Decatur, 0.05.

-- Aliante, 0.04.

-- Centennial Hills, 0.04.

-- The Lakes, 0.04.

-- McCarran International Airport, 0.02.

-- North Las Vegas Airport, 0.01

-- National Weather Service office, 0.01.

-- Henderson Executive Airport, trace.