Dust from Arizona storms blankets Las Vegas Valley, rain threatens to move in
Las Vegas Valley residents woke up Saturday morning to skies blanketed by haze and dust leftover from thunderstorms in Arizona.
The Clark County Department of Air Quality issued an alert Saturday due to a large outflow boundary from a thunderstorm complex in Phoenix, sending a large amount of dust into the valley.
Ashley Whiteside, a hostess at the Stratosphere’s Top of the World restaurant, said the haze partially distorted the normally expansive views from the eatery, but other than a few cancellations, business is steady on the Strip’s highest restaurant.
The National Weather Service on Saturday afternoon also issued a flash flood watch, which was to remain in effect until 5 a.m. Sunday, meteorologist Andy Gorelow said.
Thunderstorms are forecast at a chance of 30 percent in the Las Vegas Valley from Saturday to Monday, meteorologist Chris Outler said. Saturday saw a high temperature of 109 degrees, he said.
Meteorologist Stan Czyzyk said that continued storms could help clear away the dust hanging around the valley. Some areas of the valley saw 1-2 hundredths of an inch of rain, and there was potential for more ran Saturday night, Czyzyk said.
Sunday will reach a high of 104 with mostly sunny skies, Outler said. Monday is likely to have a high of 104 degrees and Tuesday will have a high near 102 with a 20 percent chance of rain.
The forecast high is 103 for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he said. All three days have a 20 percent chance of rain.
Low temperatures for the week will be in the mid-to-low 80s, according to the weather service.
Review-Journal reporter Christian Bertolaccini contributed to this story. Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.
DUST, DUST EVERYWHERE
The Clark County Department of Air Quality says airborne dust is a form of inhalable air pollution called particulate matter, which aggravates respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. It may be best for children, the elderly, and people with respiratory diseases to stay indoors. If you are experiencing breathing difficulties or medical conditions that you think are related to air quality, see your doctor.
Officials also recommend the following tips to keep dust down: drive slowly on unpaved roads, don't take short cuts across vacant lots, ride off-road vehicles in approved areas outside the urban Las Vegas Valley, and fence off barren property or cover it with gravel, rock, or desert-friendly landscaping
