Dry streak ends: Mario’s remnants soak Las Vegas Valley
More than two months without rain can be considered a dry spell. That ended Thursday in the Las Vegas Valley.
For the first time since July 3, the Las Vegas airport received measurable rainfall — 0.03 inches, to be exact, the National Weather Service said early Thursday afternoon. Harry Reid International Airport ended up receiving 0.24 inches after some evening showers.
Valley residents can thank the remnants from Tropical Storm Mario for the rain. Mario first gained tropical storm strength last week off Mexico’s Pacific coast before weakening into a tropical depression. It then came ashore and dumped some rain onto Southern California, Arizona and Mexico.
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.
As drought conditions continue in Southern Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority is asking residents and businesses to turn off their landscaping irrigation systems throughout the weekend in order to “take full advantage of nature’s generosity,” in a way to take the strain off of the Colorado River Basin and Lake Mead which provide 90 percent of the regions water supply.
Some rainfall totals
(from Regional Flood Control District)
— Downtown Las Vegas: .04 inches
— Henderson Executive Airport: .08
— East Henderson: 0.12
— Centennial Hills: .04
— Summerlin West: .04
— Northeast Las Vegas: .04
Very dry monsoon season
Before Thursday, the last time Harry Reid International Airport saw measurable rain was July 3, at the beginning of monsoon season, when it recorded .02 inches.
Also, this had been the fourth-driest monsoon season on record, said Chris Outler of the weather service. The Las Vegas monsoon season runs from July 1 to Sept. 30.
The driest years are 2020 and 1944 (tied with a trace) and 2010 (0.01).
So far in 2025, the airport has seen just over 2 inches of rain (average is 2.27). A normal rainfall year in Las Vegas is 4.18 inches.
3-day forecast
Friday: 50 percent chance of thunderstorms, high 91
Saturday: Chance of storms after 2 p.m., high near 92
Sunday: Sunny, high 93, low 76
2025 rain events
Sept. 18: The valley’s long dry streak ends, thanks to remnants from Tropical Storm Mario.
July 18: A few monsoon storms soaked parts of the valley.
July 3: Some showers fell across the area but a strong dust storm caused widespread power outages in the east valley.
June 5: In a rare event for June, showers caused a few disruptions across the valley.
May 6: An “exceptionally rare” May storm shattered rain records.
March 17: Strong winds and a few showers swept through the valley on St. Patrick’s Day.
March 5: A Pacific storm brought light rain to parts of the valley. The nearby mountains saw snow.
Contact Kevin J. Barr at kbarr@reviewjournal.com.
