Las Vegas Experiences Unprecedented Rainfall in May

A man tragically lost his life as floodwaters swept him away, according to police reports.

Las Vegas has already experienced an unparalleled level of May rainfall, setting a new record within the first few days of the month. This comes after a persistent storm system brought consistent rain to the city over a stretch of four days. In a nearby suburb called Henderson, floodwaters claimed one man's life on a Tuesday.

Unusual Weather Patterns

Rains during this period are uncommon, emerging due to a significant low-pressure system from the north that settled over the Mojave Desert. This region spans southeastern California, southwestern Nevada, along with small segments of Arizona and Utah. The weather system lingered, interacting with atmospheric moisture drifting from the Pacific Ocean.

Chris Outler, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, noted the atypical position and slow dissipation of this system over the Mojave Desert, describing it as highly unusual.

Anomaly in May Rainfall

Usually the Mojave experiences its least rainfall in May, second only to June, with more substantial showers during summer monsoons and winter months. However, from Saturday through the following Tuesday, continuous rain and thunderstorms resulted in heavy precipitation, strong winds, and hailstones reaching quarter size.

On Tuesday, the Weather Service issued various severe thunderstorm alerts, extending from east San Bernardino County in California to Las Vegas and into Bullhead City, Arizona.

Historic Records Shattered

Historical weather data since 1937 shows no precedent for the four consecutive days of May rain recorded at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. By Tuesday, 1.44 inches of rain had fallen, eclipsing the previous record of 0.96 inches set in 1969.

Typically, the city accumulates around 4.18 inches of rainfall annually, with over a third of this total coming down in just the four-day span.