Wind and dust advisories issued for Las Vegas

By Mary Manning

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 | 7:18 a.m.

The weather in the Las Vegas Valley is expected to make a "dramatic" change today, National Weather Service forecasters say.

Winds gusting into the 40 mph range, temperatures that will hover near record lows and possible rain showers in the valley and snow in the mountains all are possible through Thursday.

Monday's high of 83 degrees won't be matched until after the weekend as a mass of cold air comes down through the Great Basin and into Las Vegas just as residents wrap up their taxes on Wednesday.

A wind advisory and dust advisory has been issued starting at 2 p.m. Tuesday through 5 a.m. Wednesday as southwest winds of 11 to 14 mph increase to 28 to 31 mph with gusts into the 40 mph and higher range.

Today's high temperature will be near 80 degrees, unless showers and thunderstorms arrive sooner than expected. The low is expected to reach 49 degrees with southwest winds from 26 to 29 mph gusting to 39 mph overnight.

Wednesday, the day taxes are due, there is a 30 percent chance of showers with highs in the upper 50s. Winds should blow steady from 14 mph to 17 mph with gusts up to 24 mph. The overnight low is expected to hit 46 degrees, and it's Wednesday when those low temperature records may fall, the weather service says.

The chilliest afternoon high temperature on April 15 was set in 1998, at 56 degrees, and the record low of 39 degrees on April 15 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 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 few days, the weather service said.

North winds will persist Friday and Saturday, keeping temperatures in the 60s and 70s, and a warming trend is in store for the beginning of next week, forecasters said.