Winter in Las Vegas
/“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
It’s cold when we walk in the mornings. Not North Dakota or Minnesota or Wisconsin cold, but in the low 30s this week and cold enough for desert dwellers who prefer ‘warm’ to complain a little. Our walking pace is definitely brisk and a minute after we start out the door and realize we can see our breath, we’re already yearning for a hot cup of coffee on our return. It’s only about 1.5 mile walk around the neighborhood and if we hustle we’re back in 25-30 minutes, more than ready for a cuppa.
There’s snow on the mountaintops, especially Mt. Charleston, our highest peak at 11,916’. Most folks don’t realize that it really gets cold here sometimes, especially at higher elevations like the nearby mountains that ring the Las Valley Valley. There are lots of winter activities in progress. Snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, building snowmen, making snow angels, and winter wildlife watching are just a few of the things locals can do here in the winter. Recently, snow chains and/or 4-wheel drive vehicles have been required for winter travel to Mount Charleston.
January 1949 was the snowiest month recorded in Las Vegas history, with a cumulative total of 16.7 inches falling that month, according to the National Weather Service.
Blizzard of 1949 - Downtown Fremont Street - Photo credit: Vintage Las Vegas
This past New Year's Day, 4.4 inches of snow fell in the valley, followed by 4.7 inches four days later. We were hoping that the moisture here would help Lake Mead, but alas, it won’t do much, I’m afraid. It appears we’ll have to rely on the Rockies and the Colorado River Basin for any respite. According to the National Weather Service once again “That snow is never going to make a difference at Lake Mead — the focal point of the 23-year “megadrought” gripping the desert Southwest. The Sierra Nevada feeds rivers, lakes and springs that supply water to 2/3 of California’s population. The majority of water in Lake Mead… comes from snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains, which is off to a great start this winter. Most basins in Colorado are well above 100% of normal.”
When we visited in 2008 just before Christmas, it snowed enough to close the airport. Snowplows aren’t really common here and driving can be treacherous even on dry days. We had to rent a car and drive to Phoenix in order to get a flight back to the East Coast to celebrate the holidays with Lin and family. Seeing snow on palm trees and cacti is always a bit disconcerting.
The positive side? Winter never lasts very long in Las Vegas. Despite the cold, we’re already starting to see flowers shoot up and before long the daffodils, jonquils and crocus will be showing off their stuff. And I can’t wait!
