Scattered showers, thunderstorms moving into Las Vegas Valley

By Dave Toplikar

Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 | 4:43 a.m.

Make sure your windshield wipers are working — a Pacific storm is bringing rain and snow showers to the Las Vegas area today into tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

The Las Vegas Valley can expect scattered showers with possible thunderstorms, the weather service said.

Winds will be from the south 10 to 15 mph, shifting to the southwest 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon, forecasters said. Gusts up to 35 mph are expected today, they said.

A winter weather advisory will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. today in elevations above 5,500 feet, including the town of Mount Charleston, the Sheep Range, the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon.

Between 3 and 5 inches of snow is expected to accumulate between 5,500 and 7,000 feet, with between 4 and 7 inches expected to accumulate above 7,000 feet.

Drivers on Nevada State Routes 156, 157 and 158 should be prepared for winter conditions, which include low visibilities and snow-covered roads will make travel difficult.

Heavy snow will fall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains through this afternoon, forecasters said.

A dry, northerly flow will develop behind the Pacific storm on Tuesday. Locally gusty north winds are expected, especially down the Colorado River Valley, the weather service said.

This morning’s low at McCarran was expected to be 39 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 40 degrees. The record low was 14 degrees, set in 1937.

Temperatures at McCarran were to rise today to 46 degrees by 9 a.m., to 54 degrees by noon and reach a high of 57 degrees by 2 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 59 degrees and the record high was 76 degrees, set in 1948.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 52 degrees by 6 p.m., to 45 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 42 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Tuesday's morning low will be 38 degrees and Tuesday's high will climb to 59 degrees, they said.