Storm system bringing strong winds, possibly snow to region

By Mary Manning

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 | 7:13 p.m.

National Weather Service forecasters are telling Las Vegas residents and visitors to say goodbye to spring for at least the next few days as another storm system arrives in Southern Nevada.

Winds, blowing dust, rain showers and even snow flurries are possible overnight and through Wednesday.

"Even in the Las Vegas Valley we cannot entirely rule out a snow shower or a shower containing an ice pellet" could occur early Wednesday morning, forecasters said.

By next Monday temperatures should swing 10 degrees above normal with the first day of the year reaching at least 90 degrees.

After a high of 83 degrees on Monday, the high dropped to 74 on Tuesday as winds increased and clouds brought a few showers to the Las Vegas Valley and thunderstorms at the Nevada Test Site 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the weather service said.

The temperature had dropped to 68 degrees by 6 p.m. Tuesday, the weather service said.

A wind advisory and a dust advisory are in effect through 5 a.m. Wednesday as southwest to west winds increase to 28 to 31 mph with gusts into the 40 mph or higher range. Some winds racing off the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas could blow above 50 mph tonight into Wednesday.

A cold pool of air is poised northwest of Nevada and that will bring dramatic changes for Wednesday into Thursday, the weather service said.

Wednesday, the day taxes are due, there is a 30 percent chance of showers with highs only in the upper 50s. Winds are expected to blow steady from 14 mph to 17 mph with gusts up to 24 to 35 mph Wednesday. Wednesday and overnight into Thursday low temperature records set 11 years ago may fall.

The chilliest afternoon high temperature on April 15 was set in 1998 at 56 degrees, and the record low of 39 degrees on April 16 also was set in 1998.

The cold air plunging from the Gulf of Alaska into the Las Vegas area should bring the best chance of showers and snow flurries over Lincoln County north of Las Vegas and Mohave County east of Las Vegas in Arizona, but rain or thunderstorms in Las Vegas and snow in the Spring Mountains and the Sheep Mountain range cannot be ruled out over the next couple days, the weather service said.

North winds will persist Friday and Saturday, allowing temperatures to gradually warm up before above-normal temperatures are expected to arrive next week.