Cooling spell lowers chance of more thunderstorms

Cooler temperatures and possibly more rain are forecast for Southern Nevada through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

But the potential for powerful thunderstorms similar to what occurred Tuesday "has almost ended," as temperatures drop.

A flash flood warning for Clark County and California's San Bernardino County was canceled as the area of low pressure moved into Arizona.

The NWS station at McCarran International Airport recorded about half an inch of rainfall while Henderson reported almost an inch. It was the first measurable precipitation the valley had seen in more than two months.

The violent thunderstorms that rolled in after midnight Tuesday were accompanied by high winds with gusts in some areas up to 50 mph.

Firefighters performed a swift-water rescue Tuesday morning after a car stalled in the flooding at Cheyenne Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. At Nellis Boulevard and Stewart Avenue, both roads were covered with 12 to 14 inches of water about a quarter mile in each direction. Water was reported flowing across Boulder Highway and Russell Road, spilling into a nearby flood channel, forecasters said.

An overnight thunderstorm from 2 to 4 a.m. kept firefighters busy.

Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said firefighters dealt with approximately 20 tree fires.

One power pole was struck by lightning, he said. A lightning strike sparked a roof fire near Rancho and Vegas drives, causing $1,000 in damage.

Forecasters did not completely rule out the possibility of more thunderstorms over the Las Vegas Valley. The forecast for Tuesday night calls for a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with a low of 67. Tuesday's high was 73 degrees.

The chance for rain will rise to 30 percent Wednesday with a high near 84 and light winds.

Temperatures will creep back up to 88 on Thursday and hit the low- to mid-90s over the weekend.

Review-Journal reporter Mike Blasky contributed to this report,

Contact Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.