Did you notice all that dust blowing around the east side of the Las Vegas Valley on Friday afternoon? It wasn’t a dust storm.
It was a “cloud of dust originating from monsoon storms” in Arizona, said Sam Meltzer, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas.
It arrived by mid-afternoon, affecting Henderson, Boulder City and neighborhoods on the east side, Meltzer said. Hazy skies were still seen in those areas by early evening. But Meltzer said the “dust event” was so mild that no dust storm advisory/warning was issued and no air quality alert was issued.
He explained the event was caused by an “outflow boundary” from monsoon thunderstorms in the Tucson area. The boundary moved north through the night and affected parts of Southern Nevada on Friday.
By Sunday, a wave of monsoonal moisture will begin to affect Southern Nevada. There is a 20 percent chance of storms for the Spring Mountains, Meltzer said. The chances increase to 40 percent for Monday across the valley.
The summer monsoon season in Southern Nevada runs from late June into September.
Las Vegas has been enduring a July heat wave this week, with the high hitting 111 at Harry Reid International Airport on Thursday, the hottest day of the year.
On Friday, Reid reached 110 degrees. The forecast high for Saturday is 110; Sunday is 109. The average high for mid-July is 105.
Cooling stations activated
Clark County said it has activated cooling stations at community centers, libraries and other buildings across the valley through Sunday.
The cooling stations’ hours will vary depending on the location, the county said. The stations will include several locations in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson.
The stations are open to anyone in need of respite from the heat, the county said. Additional information can be found at the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care’s website at helphopehome.org/get-help/, the county said.
Weather facts
— On June 23, Reid recorded 0.02 inches of rain, breaking a rainless streak of 124 days. It was the only rainfall of the month.
— Last month was the seventh-warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 91.1 degrees, the NWS said. It was the first June since June 2022 that did not see a temperature of 110 or above.
— Las Vegas hit 100 degrees for the first time this year on May 8.
— It hit 98 on March 25 at the airport, the hottest March day ever in Las Vegas. The valley saw eight consecutive days of record-breaking heat that month, the hottest March in history.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.
