First rainfall of year interrupts dry winter

The Las Vegas Valley experienced its first rainfall of 1999 on Monday, while Mount Charleston was blanketed with its largest snowfall of the winter.

A spokesman for Nevada Power Co. said the rain indirectly caused a power outage that affected as many as 6,500 residents in southwest Las Vegas.

"When there is a long period of time between rain, there is a buildup of dust and dirt on the transformer," Tom Henley, a power company spokesman, said. "The rain pushed the dirt into the equipment and there was electrical contact, which caused flashing."

Heat from the electrical flashing caused the transformer's pole to catch fire, which knocked out a 69,000-volt transmission line on Duneville Street southeast of the intersection of Jones Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road. The line fed power to three substations, Nevada Power spokeswoman Sonya Headen said.

The 5:15 p.m. blackout affected homes and businesses in the area bordered by Torrey Pines Drive on the west, Decatur Boulevard on the east, Spring Mountain Road on the south and Charleston Boulevard on the north.

The National Weather Service recorded only trace amounts of rain -- one-twentieth of an inch -- at its recording stations at McCarran International Airport and in North Las Vegas.

Despite the lack of significant rain at recording stations, meteorologist Charlie Schlott said, "We had some showers as some squalls moved through Monday afternoon. We could have some more roll through today."

The last time the valley saw a recognizable amount of precipitation was on Dec. 6, when more than an inch of snow fell in Las Vegas.

The wet Las Vegas streets proved to be troublesome for drivers, with several fender benders reported when the rain was at its heaviest in the early afternoon. The exact number was unavailable.

While it drizzled in the valley, Mount Charleston got about five inches of snow.

"It looks like this is one of the biggest storms for Mount Charleston in what has been a pretty dry winter," Schlott said.

More snow may be in store for the mountain today, Schlott said.

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