Why Southern Nevada saw so much valley snow, rain and wind this winter

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — March 20 marks the primary official day of spring in 2023. The brand new season comes after winter delivered rain, a number of rounds of valley snow, and loads of wind.

“It was windier than common in January and February. It was colder than common in January and February,’ mentioned Channel 13 meteorologist Justin Bruce.

A sequence of about 10 atmospheric rivers dumped rain and snow throughout the West. In Southern Nevada— locals have been stunned to see snow-packed parks in valley neighborhoods, some highly effective and damaging winds, and frigid temperatures.

Whereas the wind and the chilly have been extra excessive than common, it could come as a shock that our precipitation totals weren’t out of the atypical.

Nationwide Climate Service knowledge, which analyzes climate statistics that date again to the Thirties, exhibits the common precipitation for January and February mixed is 1.36”. In January and February of 2023, Las Vegas noticed 0.94” of precipitation.

The moist climate solely appeared like quite a bit as a result of the final decade or so has been drier than common.

“It is simply that we have had so many heat and dry winters the as a rule the final a number of years. There have been some exceptions, however type of having a traditional winter seems like an actual busy winter that speaks extra to the final decade or two than to anything or to any future climate adjustments,” Bruce mentioned.

Why the change this 12 months?

“One of many causes the storm monitor simply ignored La Nina and got here proper on to our a part of the West. I believe a few of that needed to do with the polar vortex up by the North Pole by no means actually breaking down and coming over to the jap U.S. In order that they have been heat, however we have been a bit colder than common and busier than common weather-wise,” Bruce added.

This winter’s rainfall did assist our drought, however we’d like any extra years of above-average snowpack for Wyoming, Western Colorado and Jap Utah to make a giant impact- that snow would fill the Colorado River.

It took a decade or two to get into the drought, and it will most likely take about that lengthy to get out of the drought. So, this was good, however it did not clear up the entire thing,” Bruce mentioned.

We’re not accomplished yet- fashions are predicting below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation within the first few weeks of spring.