A hurricane off Mexico may help bring some showers to Las Vegas
There was Mario in September. Priscilla could be coming in October.
Hurricane Priscilla is spinning off the coast of western Mexico and will likely affect the weather in Southern Nevada, Southern California and Arizona late this week.
Las Vegas received much-needed rain last month from the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario.
But in Priscilla’s case, there’s a “lot of uncertainty” about how much the storm will affect the valley, said Ashley Nickerson of the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
Priscilla neared Category 3 status late Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. Parts of southwestern Mexico could get up to 4 inches of rain through Wednesday, forecasters said. Priscilla was forecast to weaken starting Wednesday, the hurricane center said. A major hurricane is defined as Category 3 or higher and wind speeds of at least 111 mph.
The storm appears “stronger than Mario,” Nickerson said, and its remnants could have a significant impact on the valley, especially Thursday night and Friday.
For now, there’s a a 50 percent chance of rain Thursday and Friday in the valley.
October has a reputation for being a very dry month in Las Vegas. The last time Harry Reid International Airport recorded rain in October was 2023, at 0.13 inches on Oct. 1. Nickerson said the airport gets 0.32 inches during an average October.
Nickerson explained that a late monsoon season and hurricanes can produce showers in the valley in October. The monsoon officially ended Sept. 30, and hurricane season isn’t over until Nov. 30.
So far in 2025, the airport has recorded 2.33 inches of rain, 0.83 inches below normal. An average calendar year is 4.19 inches.
In August 2023, the remnants from Hurricane Hilary wreaked havoc on parts of the valley and surrounding mountains. It forced the closure of Earl B. Lundy Elementary School on Mount Charleston, which recently reopened.
4-day forecast
Wednesday: sunny, high of 85 degrees.
Thursday: 50 percent chance of rain, 84
Friday: 50 percent chance of rain, 83
Saturday: 30 percent of rain, 80.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.
