More showers moving into Las Vegas Valley

By Dave Toplikar

Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010 | 6:18 a.m.

Rain is likely again today and tonight in the Las Vegas Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

Light rain and drizzle was falling early this morning in parts of the valley. But not more than a trace had been recorded by 6 a.m. at McCarran International Airport and airports in North Las Vegas Airport, Nellis Air Force Base and Henderson.

A persistent southwest to west flow will bring abundant Pacific moisture across the area through Wednesday, the weather service said.

Heavy snow will fall in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains through at least tonight, forecasters said. A winter storm warning is in effect through 4 a.m. Monday for the eastern Sierra slopes, including Aspendell and Whitney Portal in California.

Meanwhile, rain in the valleys and snow in area mountains is expected to continue off and on through Wednesday for the region, they said.

The weather service said the rain is expected to create flows that are well above normal in area rivers and washes, with flooding possible, across far southeast Nevada and northwest Arizona this coming week.

The greatest rain amounts could be across eastern Clark and southeast Lincoln counties in southern Nevada and Mohave County in northwest Arizona, forecasters said.

The Virgin River and Muddy River in northeast Clark County and the Meadow Valley Wash in Lincoln and northeast Clark County could see above-normal flows, they said.

Many of the basins in Mohave County will have above-normal flows, including the Big Sandy River and Willow Creek in the southeast part of the county, forecasters said.

Afternoon temperatures are expected to be near normal highs of in the mid to upper 50s, they said.

At 5:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 56 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 36 degrees. The record low was 22 degrees, set in 1945.

Around the valley just before 6 a.m., temperatures were 56 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 55 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 53 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures at McCarran were to be 55 degrees by 9 a.m., to 61 degrees by noon and reach a high of 62 degrees by 1 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 56 degrees and the record high was 68 degrees, set in 1942 and 1939.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 57 degrees by 6 p.m., to 56 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 55 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Monday's morning low will be 52 degrees and Monday's high will climb to 58 degrees, they said.