Storms moving in south of Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar (contact)

Published Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 | 5:50 a.m.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 | 4:10 p.m.

Keep your eye on the skies and the roads this afternoon -- storms have started to pop up in the southwest part of the Las Vegas Valley, possibly bringing some flash flooding.

The National Weather Service says there's a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon through 11 p.m. for the valley. Isolated severe weather and flash flooding are also possible.

Isolated storms passed through the southern part of the valley between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., from Sloan east across the McCullough Mountain range, the weather service said. However, by 4 p.m., most of the major activity was east of Boulder City in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to weather radar.

Temperatures were in the low 80s this morning, but were expected to climb to a high of near 103 degrees this afternoon, the weather service said.

The normal high temperature for today is 98 degrees and the record high for today's date is 108 degrees, last recorded in 1982, 1955 and 1950.

Wednesday's high temperature was 103 degrees, which was 5 degrees higher than normal, but 7 degrees lower than the record for that date of 110, set in 1950, 1948 and 1947.

Warmer-than-normal weather will continue on Friday, with the high reaching 104 degrees. There will also be a 30 percent chance for showers and thunderstorm again.

The weather service said the chances for rain will decrease over the weekend as drier air begins to move in. However, there will be a chance for isolated severe weather and flash flooding through the weekend, forecasters said.