Storms moving in could bring flooding, high winds, hail

By Dave Toplikar

Friday, July 11, 2008 | 6:37 a.m.

Grab your umbrella as you head out the door this morning. The National Weather Service is forecasting showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m., which could bring flash flooding, high winds and even hail to the Las Vegas valley.

But the coming storms won't stop the heat -- the warm muggy air juicing up Southern Nevada won't hold temperatures under triple digits. Today's high is expected to be 103 degrees, according to the weather service.

The storms will be spawned by monsoonal moisture spreading from northwest Arizona into southeast California and Southern Nevada, the weather service said.

The Nevada storms are expected to be confined to central Nye and Lincoln counties.

"There will be a threat of isolated thunderstorms, which could produce flash flooding . . . Especially south of Interstate 15," the weather service reported in its hazardous weather outlook. "Some thunderstorms may also produce strong wind gusts and hail."

Temperatures this morning were in the low 80s, with the humidity at 37 percent. Winds are expected to be between 9 and 11 mph today, with the chance for rain at 20 percent.

Tonight's forecast calls for isolated showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., with partly cloudy skies and a low reaching 77 degrees. Winds will be 5 to 11 mph, becoming north-northeast. The rain chance will continue to be 20 percent tonight, the weather service says.

The weather service said thunderstorm coverage will continue to gradually expand northwest into south central Nevada Saturday and Sunday. The increased moisture will lead to more of a threat of heavy rains, producing thunderstorms on Sunday, the weather service said.

Cooler weather is coming Saturday. The high is expected to reach only 98 degrees, with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m., the weather service said.