December storm dumps snow on mountains near Las Vegas; valley sees showers
First, it was rain for the valley. Now, it’s snow for the mountains.
The Spring Mountains were expected to get between eight and 16 inches of snow by Saturday for areas above 7,500 feet, said Andy Gorelow of the National Weather Service, with wind gusts up to 40 mph.
The mountains were under a winter storm warning for most of Friday.
In the valley, by late evening, some areas had seen some showers, including Centennial Hills, Summerlin and North Las Vegas.
A fire hose of tropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean has brought widespread showers to Southern Nevada this week. Most of Las Vegas saw considerable rain Christmas Eve.
Brian Planz of the National Weather Service said there’s a 30 percent chance of rain for Saturday.
Lee Canyon activities
The Lee Canyon resort in the Spring Mountains opened its entire area — all lifts and trails — last month, marking the resort’s first full opening day in more than 10 years.
The resort has rolled out several upgrades this season, including two new surface lifts (total of seven), expanded terrain in the West Bowl area and enhanced snowmaking.
Lee Canyon, located about an hour from downtown Las Vegas in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, averages more than 129 inches of annual snowfall and operates year-round.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.
