Storm to deliver a wet, snowy Christmas present to Las Vegas Valley

Santa has something special planned for the Las Vegas Valley: a wet, snowy Christmas.

A flash flood watch has been issued for the valley, starting late Tuesday night and extending through late Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said.

The watch affects Southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and eastern California.

The NWS said “flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.”

In a post on X, the NWS said “widespread rain” will arrive Christmas Eve and last into Christmas Day, with snow for the Spring Mountains. But the agency said it wasn’t certain about exact snow totals for the mountains.

The NWS said “a strong storm system with a deep moisture tap” is developing off the California coast and should arrive by Christmas Eve.

The valley has been very warm and dry in December, with highs in the low 70s for most of the month and no precipitation.

If Las Vegas records no rain this month, it’ll be the seventh time that has happened since record keeping began since 1937. The most recent “no rain” Decembers happened in 2024 and 2017.

Thanks to a wet November, Harry Reid International Airport has recorded 4.96 inches of rain this year (average is 4.18). The NWS said 2025 will go down as the wettest year in Las Vegas since 2019, when a wet winter contributed to a total of 6.87 inches.