LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A wind advisory — as well as a travel alert — have been issued for the Las Vegas valley, as rain, wind and snow continue to blow into the valley on Tuesday.
The alert will remain in effect from Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. until Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., with wind gusts expected up to 60 mph. Additionally, RTC of Southern Nevada has issued a travel advisory for a winter storm as snow has been reported in multiple parts of the Las Vegas valley.
The NWS warns that gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects and tree limbs, as well as cause damage to some structures, including possible power outages.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 14,000 people are without power throughout the Las Vegas valley, with 56 different areas affected, according to NV Energy.
It dropped 15° in 15 minutes at Harry Reid International Airport between 11:05 to 11:20 a.m. From 54° to 39° as northwest gusts hit 49 mph!
— Justin Bruce (@just1nbruce) February 14, 2023
Drivers are advised to travel with caution, as dust and snow stirred up by wind gusts have lowered visibility on the roads.
The recent weather is also making the Southern Nevada Water Authority urge residents and businesses into skipping their next watering day, and to shut off landscape irrigation for the next week.
"Taking advantage of precipitation to save water is critical for the community, especially as climate-change fueled 'megadrought' continues to impact the Colorado River Basin and Lake Mead," said Bronson Mack with SNWA. "The source of 90 percent of Southern Nevada's water supply."
According to the SNWA, saving water at avery available opportunity is particularly crucial this winter as federal water shortage declaration on the Colorado River reduces the amount of water the community can withdraw from Lake MEad this year by 8 billion gallons.
Conservation efforts in 2022 reduced our community’s water consumption by more than 5.5 billion gallons of water compared to 2021," Mack wrote. "Continued efforts such as turning off irrigation systems when it rains, makes a big impact on conserving Southern Nevada’s water supply."
The SNWA also reminds residents and business that the community’s mandatory winter watering schedule, in effect now through Feb. 28, limits landscape irrigation to one assigned day a week, based on your property’s address. Sunday landscape watering is prohibited year-round. Find your assigned watering day and get information on seasonal watering restrictions at snwa.com.
Seeing some snow in your part of the Las Vegas valley? Send your photos and video to photos@ktnv.com!
