Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Wet and Chilly in Most of State, Mild and Dry in the South

All of Nevada is heading toward summer with a more than ample water supply, even though the southern part of the state remained essentially dry last month, according to state Climatologist John James.

"They have sun on their heads, but water under their feet" because of a wet winter along the Colorado River upstream from Lake Mead, James said on Monday.

The rest of Nevada ended the traditional October-April period of heaviest precipitation with plenty to spare, James said.

March ranged from about average to far wetter than normal across most of the state, with Reno's 1.63 of an inch more than twice its 0.71 of an inch average for the month.

Elsewhere in western Nevada and the Sierra, James said March left 3.73 inches of moisture at Glenbrook, 2.44 inches at Carson City and 2.42 inches at Virginia City.

On the lower end of the scale, Las Vegas received just 0.1 of an inch last month, leaving it 0.32 of an inch shy of average.

The other reporting stations hovered right around average last month. Winnemucca got 0.91 of an inch, 0.13 of an inch above normal, Ely's 0.93 of an inch was 0.03 of an inch below average and Elko had 0.88 of an inch, 0.08 of an inch off the pace.

James said the northern and central runoffs were above average except parts of the extreme north, ranging from around 120 percent in the Truckee, Carson, Lake Tahoe and Walker River areas to 103 percent along the Owyhee and 92 percent in the region north of Reno. Southern Nevada had less than half of average in many locations.

James said temperatures were a mish-mash last month, ranging from 15-20 degrees below zero in the northeast to the low 90s along the Colorado River and near Lake Mead.

Reno's average of 42 degrees was just 0.7 of a degree below normal, while despite some chilly mornings, Las Vegas was 3.2 degrees above normal at 59.7 for the month.

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