Published Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 | 10:24 a.m.
Updated Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 | 3:41 p.m.
Sun weather coverage
A strong winter storm could dump 18 inches of snow in the mountains of Southern Nevada this week and bring light snow to the Las Vegas Valley.
The National Weather Service said the storm system will dive from the Pacific Northwest into the Mohave Desert and southern Great Basin on Tuesday night, bringing the threat of significant snow in higher elevations and gusty winds.
Forecasters issued a winter storm watch in effect from Tuesday evening to Wednesday evening for elevations above 5,000 feet. The weather service said 10 to 18 inches of snow could fall above 7,000 feet, with 5 to 10 inches possible between 5,000 and 7,000 feet.
"Snow will make travel difficult or impossible," the weather service said in a statement regarding mountain snowfall. "Visibility will also be reduced with whiteout conditions possible at times in the mountains. The combined weight of this snow with older snow may result in weaker trees bending or breaking."
Gusts up to 60 mph are possible in the Spring Mountains, forecasters said.
In Las Vegas, the high temperature will reach about 57 degrees on Tuesday with mostly sunny skies ahead of the storm system.
An 80 percent chance of rain is in the forecast for Wednesday, then precipitation could turn to light snow in the valley as temperatures tumble to the low 30s Thursday morning. The chance of snow in the valley is 20 percent, the weather service said.
No snow accumulation is expected in the valley.
Chilly temperatures will stick around for the biggest night of the year in Las Vegas. The high will reach about 42 degrees on New Year's Eve with the morning low dipping to 29 on New Year's Day, forecasters said.
The average high temperature in Las Vegas in late December is 56 degrees, according to weather service records.
The last measurable snowfall at the city's official weather station at McCarran occurred on Dec. 17, 2008. McCarran recorded 3.6 inches of snow while up to 8 inches fell in parts of the valley.
The 2008 storm prompted the Clark County School District's first snow day in 30 years.
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