Erik Cuellar, 6, plays in storm run-off in front of his home near Boulder Highway and Desert Inn Road Monday. Also in the water are left, Saida Chavez, 9, and Erik’s sister, Arlene.
Published Monday, Sept. 8, 2008 | 7 a.m.
Updated Monday, Sept. 8, 2008 | 6:49 p.m.
Weather conditions
Beyond the Sun
Heavy downpours brought street flooding to several neighborhoods in Las Vegas today. But the National Weather Service has now lifted its flash flood warnings for the Las Vegas Valley as the threat of thunderstorms is decreasing, according to Larry Jensen, weather service meteorologist.
The weather service had issued a flash flood warning at 3:31 p.m. today, and floodwaters led to the closing of the Flamingo Road on-ramp at Interstate 515. Downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Strip and the eastern valley were included in the flood warning area, expecting more than an inch of rain from the storms.
The downpours came after a thunderstorm moved into the valley from the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas and a thundercloud reformed.
The weather service also issued a flash flood watch for southwestern Las Vegas as thunderstorms continued to fire over the entire valley. Forecasters posted the watch through 5:45 p.m.
Rainfall totals from this afternoon varied around the Las Vegas Valley.
Sloan Channel at East Charleston Boulevard recorded 0.71 of an inch by 5 p.m. Desert Inn Road at Las Vegas Boulevard South on the Las Vegas Strip got 0.28 of an inch. Lone Mountain Road in the northwest valley picked up 0.28 of an inch.
McCarran International Airport, the official measuring site for temperature, winds and rainfall, measured 0.03 of an inch, as did the North Las Vegas Airport.
Some of the storms have produced dry lightning, which has struck trees and at least one power pole in the downtown area. Tim Szymanski, spokesman for the Las Vegas Fire Department, said lightning also has ignited some trees in the valley.
Embers from a tree hit by lightning fell onto a building at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Vegas Drive, Szymanski said.
The National Weather Service said most the lightning came with dry thunderclouds, although thuderstorms that had stayed west and east of Las Vegas were popping up in the city this afternoon.
The forecast called for a high today of 104 degrees. Weather service forecasters expect more clouds and temperatures ranging from 100 to 103 degrees for the next three days.
By the end of the week the Las Vegas Valley could enjoy more normal temperatures for this time of year: 97 degrees for daytime highs and 73 for nighttime lows.
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