Las Vegas might be gifted a dry, colder Christmas Day

Surprise! Las Vegas Valley won’t be getting snow on Christmas, but the nearby mountains might get a dusting, or a little better.

And those traveling to Northern Nevada and Southern California for the holiday weekend may have to battle cold and wind: a front will bring strong gusts and a slight chance of showers Thursday.

A wind advisory issued Wednesday for the Las Vegas Valley will stay in effect until 10 a.m. Thursday, National Weather Service meteorologist John Salmen said.

Chances for Christmas rain will last from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., and wind brought through by the cold front could blow more than 40 mph between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., Salmen said. Expect occasional gusts fo about 30 mph all Christmas day.

Clouds will stick around into the evening, when skies are expected to clear rapidly, Salmen said.

Parts of Lincoln County, northeast of Las Vegas, could get between 1 and 3 inches of snow, meteorologist Caleb Steele said.

“The cold air will be centered off to the north and the east,” Steele said.

North winds in the Las Vegas Valley will slow down Friday morning, with gusts reaching about 20 mph. Chilly air will persist, with daytime high temperatures forecast at 49 degrees. Lows are expected to dip to 35 at night, Salmen said.

Saturday will be calm with highs near 48 degrees and nighttime lows dipping to 33 before another windy storm rolls in Sunday.

Although more cold air will blow in Sunday, weather models are not in agreement about how much cold air, Salmen said.

Monday is expected to be breezy and temperatures will remain cool.

A third system will push its way into the Las Vegas area either Tuesday or New Year’s Eve, Salmen said, again citing storm model disagreements. Neither model predicts a lot of precipitation, but more wind and more cold air are in the cards, he said.

Highs for both days are expected to reach 50 degrees and lows are expected to be between 33 and 35, but those can be expected to drop even lower if the system moves in early.

“It’s more and more likely,” Steele said.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber. Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl.