Rain clouds expected to leave valley by Thursday

The Las Vegas Valley's skies were expected to stay gray throughout the day, bringing scattered rain over the cities and snow up on Mt. Charleston, but the precipitation will be gone by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather being brought in by a low-pressure system from Southern California had left .02 inches of rain and 1 1/2 inches of snow by this morning, said Charlie Schlott, meteorologist with the service.

Because it has been 65 days since the area's last rainfall, authorities were warning drivers to be aware of slick streets caused by the moisture lifting oil and grease on the roads.

Tim Szymanski, spokesman for the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department, said the rain could also bring shorts in electrical systems in homes and businesses.

"Usually when it rains like this we have ... incidents with electricity," he said.

The shorts are caused by rain dripping into junction boxes or electrical equipment, causing sparks and sometimes fire.

"It's something that goes with the territory," Szymanski said, adding that people should call the fire department with any concerns.