They can still cause severe damage, however. These winds tend to be more short-lived and affect a smaller area than the spring’s frontal winds. 30, strong winds are more often associated with localized afternoon thunderstorms than regional cold fronts. In this season, which began June 15 and runs through Sept. “If I knew nothing about the weather forecast, and saw that my colleagues were forecasting a high of 108 on a Thursday and a high of 92 on Sunday, I’d think we must be having wind somewhere in there.”Īs the summer progresses, cold fronts become weaker as the southwest settles into its monsoon season and a more consistent high-pressure air mass settles over the region. The temperature in the Vegas area fell from a high of 106 degrees on June 16 to 88 degrees on June 19 as the front moved in.īoucher said the temperature drop associated with a cold front is almost always associated with wind in the valley. The spring is a transitional time when the jet stream begins moving northward, causing disturbances in atmospheric air that lead to the frequent windy cold fronts we see in the spring.Īt the same time, longer days and more sunlight cause surface air temperatures to increase, creating more turbulent air.Ī silver lining to these cold fronts - like the one this past weekend - is a relief from the heat. March, April and May are generally the windiest months of the year for the region, according to Boucher.Ī lot of that boils down to the changing seasons. “At 40 mph,” Boucher said, “that will pretty efficiently move your trash cans and things on your porch that aren’t secured.” Winds in the 30 to 39 mph range can cause whole trees to sway and make walking inconvenient.Ĭombined with the heat, residents may feel like they’re living in a sandy, sweltering air fryer whenever a windy day rolls around. They issue wind advisories when they expect wind gusts above 40 mph or sustained wind speeds of 30 to 39 mph for at least three hours. High wind warnings are issued for the Las Vegas Valley when meteorologists expect sustained winds of 40-plus mph or gusts above 58 mph. Likewise, there have been two high wind warnings issued for the valley in 2022 - the average number from 2018 through 2021 is 1.25 by June 7. By comparison, from 2018 through 2021, the NWS issued an average of eight wind advisories for the Las Vegas Valley in that time. Twelve wind advisories have been issued from Jan. For example, when the wind comes from the north and down through the Colorado River Valley, towns like Laughlin may be the windiest. Wind direction also determines the gustiest areas of Clark County on a given day. Wind gusts in the area frequently top 50 mph, fast enough to damage powerlines and break tree branches. “I would say Red Rock Canyon is one of the prime examples of the windiest places we have in the county,” Boucher said. Wind gusts up to 45 mph were recorded near Kyle Canyon in the Spring Mountains last Saturday. Areas closest to the mountainside experience the brunt of these winds before they encounter too many buildings, trees and other sources of friction that can cause them to slow down. Under certain conditions, dry air coming over the top of the mountains can quickly pick up speed as it moves down the other side. “We issue quite a bit more wind products than any other product.”Īreas like Summerlin and Red Rock Canyon on the west side of the valley are some of the most prone to windy conditions due to their proximity to the Spring Mountains. Meteorologist Trevor Boucher said wind is usually the “most common concern” we have here in the Las Vegas area, more common even than heat advisories. The NWS has issued 27 red flag warnings so far this year, up from 17 in 2021. On June 12, winds gusting to 67 mph hit the Las Vegas Valley and downed a stoplight.įire danger has also increased. Daily maximum wind gusts averaged 31 mph - 3.3 mph higher than the 18-year average - and there were four times the number of days with gusts over 50 mph. Wind gusts between March and May, however, stood out. Maybe it’s a gust knocking down an unsuspecting pedestrian, a set of patio furniture ending up in a neighbor’s yard or dust covering your car.īut an analysis of National Weather Service data shows it was surprisingly only a little breezier than the normal spring with the average wind speed between March and May on par with the past 18 years. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) in Vegas seems to have a wind story this year. Michael Erlenkötter and Marie Kröger of Germany brace during a gust of high wind and blowing dust on the Strip at Mandalay Bay Drive in Las Vegas Monday, April 11, 2022.
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