It was a record-warm December in Las Vegas. And a little wet

The month of December started out warm and dry in Las Vegas, and it stayed that way.

Until Christmas week, that is.

Thanks to a Christmas Eve storm and another on New Year’s Eve, Harry Reid International Airport ended up registering 0.45 inches of rain for December, the National Weather Service said Friday in a post on X.

That rainfall is about normal for December, usually one of the wetter months of the year for the valley as winter begins. In contrast, the valley saw no rain in December 2024.

And the weather has also been one of the main stories in the Las Vegas Valley this New Year’s week. Rainfall on Wednesday set a record for the final day of the year, the weather service’s Las Vegas forecast office said. Harry Reid received 0.32 inches of rain on Wednesday, breaking the previous New Year’s Eve record of 0.21 inches set in 1943.

As well, a dense fog advisory was issued for Southern Nevada and parts of Arizona and California on Thursday night. The fog led to some flight delays at Harry Reid International Airport early Friday.

Looking ahead, Saturday’s forecast called for a 30 percent chance of showers mainly between 4 and 5 p.m., and a 10 percent chance of showers by 7 p.m., mostly cloudy and a high of 58 degrees. The low was expected to drop to about 49.

Sunday’s forecast was also calling for a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4 p.m., and a 30 percent chance of showers mainly before 10 p.m., the weather service said. It’s expected to be mostly cloudy, with a high near 62 and low of about 45.

‘Unseasonable warmth’

The weather service said last month was the warmest December on record, with an average median temperature of 54.8 degrees, 6.6 degrees above normal. The previous record was 53.2 degrees, set in 2023.

The warmest day was Dec. 11, which reached a record-breaking 74 degrees.

After a record-setting month of rain in November, Las Vegas entered a period of “unseasonable warmth” early last month, the agency said.

Highs were 10 to 15 degrees above normal, said Morgan Stessman of the weather service. Stessman explained that “a ridge of high pressure” parked itself off the Southern California coast, keeping the valley high and dry.

But that pattern finally broke on Christmas Eve as a fire hose of tropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean brought widespread showers to Southern Nevada. And Wednesday’s rain was the first time Las Vegas saw rain on New Year’s Eve since 2014.

Fortunately, after several dry years, the airport recorded 5.41 inches of rain in 2025 (average is 4.18). The weather service said 2025 was the wettest year in Las Vegas since 2019, when a wet winter contributed to a total of 6.87 inches.

Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.