Strong gusts prompt wind advisory through morning

By Mary Manning

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 | 12:16 a.m.

After a warm and windy Tuesday, gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph can be expected in Southern Nevada overnight as a mass of cold air plunges into the Las Vegas Valley.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory through 7 a.m. Wednesday for the Spring Mountains, including Mount Charleston, Red Rock Canyon, all areas west of the valley, and the Sheep Mountain range north of Las Vegas.

Weather forecasters expect gusts could reach as high as 55 mph down to 5,000 feet in the mountain ranges.

The temperature at McCarran International Airport reached 84 degrees at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Winds were blowing around 12 to 18 mph with a gust to 31 mph at the airport, which is the official station for Las Vegas weather.

Temperatures are expected to drop 10 to 15 degrees, putting Wednesday's high in the 64 to 68 degree range with continued winds. Instead of blowing from the southwest, gusts will switch overnight and blow from the northwest by Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday will bring temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s before the next storm system arrives on Friday.

The best chance for rain comes with the next weather system dropping into Las Vegas Friday into Saturday when cooler winds could bring the first chance of rain to the valley in seven weeks. The last measurable rainfall occurred on Feb. 16 and a tenth of an inch (0.1) was recorded.

With the chance of rain Saturday, snow could fall at an elevation of 7,000 feet with snow possible at 5,000 feet after the cold front passes through Southern Nevada.

A slight warming trend occurs on Sunday and Monday before the next weather system drops in on Tuesday bringing chances of showers and cooler weather on Wednesday.