Community · Valley-wide
Las Vegas Valley sees scattered showers as Pacific storm arrives less than two weeks after Rachel's record rain
A Pacific storm is bringing scattered showers to the Las Vegas Valley on Thursday, with less than a quarter-inch of rain forecast, after an October that is already well above its average rainfall.
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What happened
Scattered showers are moving across Southern Nevada on Thursday as a storm from the Pacific Ocean reaches the Las Vegas Valley, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The rain arrives less than two weeks after the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel brought record-setting rainfall to the valley.
Sam Meltzer, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, told the Review-Journal that the valley is forecast to get less than a quarter-inch of rain from this system. That would be a modest addition to what has already fallen this month.
Thursday's forecast
Cooler than usual
The daytime high is forecast at 73, with the overnight low dropping into the upper 50s, according to the Review-Journal. The average high for late October is in the upper 70s, so Thursday is expected to run cooler than normal for this time of year.
A dry Friday for most
The wet weather is not expected to linger long. Friday is expected to be dry for most of the Las Vegas area, the Review-Journal reported, citing the forecast.
How wet October has been
Monthly totals at the airport
Harry Reid International Airport had recorded 1.19 inches of rain this month as of Tuesday, according to the Review-Journal. The October average at the airport is 0.32 inches. The wettest October on record came in 2005, when 1.45 inches fell.
The year so far
Even with this month's storms, the yearly total remains below normal. As of Tuesday, the airport had recorded 2.18 inches of rain for the year, while the normal year-to-date total through mid-October is 3.31 inches, the Review-Journal reported.
Before October began, Las Vegas had received about an inch of rain this year, according to National Weather Service data cited by the outlet. The city gets about 4 inches in an average calendar year. Official record-keeping began in 1937.
Why it matters for residents
In a desert city that typically sees about 4 inches of rain a year, October has already brought far more than its usual share. Rachel's remnants brought record-setting rain earlier in the month, and Thursday's system adds another round of showers before an expected dry Friday.
The Review-Journal's weather coverage also noted a rare storm that pounded northern and central Arizona with golf ball size hail and damaging wind gusts. Our earlier brief on the Arizona hail storm and the Thursday rain outlook has more on that system. For other local updates, see our community coverage.
What to watch next
- Rainfall from Thursday's Pacific storm, which the National Weather Service forecast at less than a quarter-inch for the valley.
- Friday's weather, which is expected to be dry for most of the Las Vegas area.
- The final October rain total at Harry Reid International Airport, which stood at 1.19 inches as of Tuesday. The monthly record is 1.45 inches, set in 2005.
