Low clouds and snow-covered mountains are seen behind the Stratosphere Tower Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013 | 1:30 p.m.
Dark clouds and light rain blanketing the Las Vegas Valley today will soon subside, weather experts said.
The weather system reached Las Vegas on Thursday and has dumped 1.34 inches of rain, National Weather Service forecaster Ryan Metzger said. Rain is expected to stop tomorrow, and the sun should emerge Monday for a bright, brisk day with a high of 58 degrees.
Slick road conditions have been blamed for a days-long spike in crashes on area highways and surface roads.
Between 3 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nevada Highway Patrol handled 87 wrecks, 23 in which people were injured. Trooper Jeremie Elliott said that’s about three times more wrecks compared with an average day and normal for a rainy period.
Officer Laura Meltzer said Las Vegas police fielded 112 car-crash calls in a rainy five-hour period between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday. There was a significant spike in wrecks Friday compared with a normal day, Officer Bill Cassell said.
Officials said motorists used to bone-dry roads forget they need to change their driving habits when storms roll in.
The storm has also brought moisture to the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort on Mount Charleston, which reported getting 16 inches of fresh snow since Thursday.
All vehicles traveling to Mount Charleston are required to have tire chains because of the heavy snow, Elliott said.
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