Winter storm leaves mark on Southern Nevada
A hiker who went missing Thursday in the teeth of December's first bitter blast had to spend the night on Mount Charleston after Las Vegas police suspended the search, which was hampered by low visibility, high winds and swirling snow.
The hiker informed police Thursday he would be able to survive overnight.
The man became lost near the Bristlecone Trail area in Lee Canyon and sent an electronic message requesting help about 8:30 a.m. from a cellphone.
After the search was suspended because of dangerous weather conditions, officer Bill Cassell, a Las Vegas police spokesman, said rescue efforts would resume this morning if the hiker still needs assistance. Cassell said the search-and-rescue team was trying to track the hiker through phone GPS coordinates.
The hiker also has a dog with him, Cassell said.
Fourteen to 20 inches of snow were reported on Mount Charleston from lower to higher elevations Thursday afternoon, said John Salmen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
Lee Canyon had accumulated 20 inches Thursday afternoon, Salmen said.
The overnight low on the mountain is expected to hover around 20 degrees, with an accumulation of 6-12 additional inches of snow.
A winter storm warning on the mountain is expected to remain in effect until 7 a.m. today. Salmen said there is a
20 percent chance of more snow today.
While Thursday's weather was frightful in the valley, it was downright terrifying for motorists looking for fun in the snow in Kyle Canyon.
"My car is all-wheel-drive, and I was still sliding all over the place," said A.J. Gunasena, 22, of Las Vegas.
Gunasena and Samantha Scholl, 23, brought their Pomeranian, Dolce, up the mountain with the idea of driving up to the Mount Charleston Lodge, but at an elevation of about 7,700 feet, the lodge was 1,700 feet higher than they were willing, or allowed, to risk.
Instead, Gunasena and other motorists who didn't have tire chains or snow tires were turned around by public safety personnel.
But that didn't stop them from pulling over and having a snowball fight at the base of the canyon.
"I got her pretty good," Gunasena said.
For Las Vegas Valley residents, Thursday was gusty while the mercury barely tickled 50 degrees. The weather was significantly colder on the mountain.
"Isn't it crazy?" said Gunasena of the cold weather blast.
His question was rhetorical, but a shivering Scholl answered anyway. "The weather is bi-polar," she said.
It definitely was polar-like.
Contact Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@review
journal.com or 702-224-5512. Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Contact Antonio Planas at aplanas@review
journal.com or 702-383-4638.
