LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A smoke and dust advisory was issued for Clark County Tuesday due to the California wildfires and blowing dust blanketing the Las Vegas valley.
Gusts in excess of 50 mph hour were recorded in the valley and resulted in some downed trees and power outages.
8 News Now spoke to one homeowner in North Las Vegas who lost a tree to the winds and says this isn’t the first time.
“I lost two great shade trees, but nobody was hurt,” said Thomas Cotter.
He was taking his dogs out around 5:30 this morning, and the tree was still standing. Fifteen minutes later, he heard a loud crack and came to find it split in half, hanging over his brick wall.
“These trees have very shallow root systems because we had both of the exact same kind,” Cotter explained.
In other parts of the valley, reports of wind damage started early. Just before 7 a.m., a tree fell onto a power line on Valley View and Sirius.
On Mountain View Drive near Charleston and Decatur, more power lines were downed — and they were very close to homes.
Cotter says while it was a scary situation, he’s grateful no one in his home was hurt.
“God was looking out for us,” he said. “Not for my trees, but for us.”
Cotter had a tree removal service come out Tuesday due to concern of the tree going over the wall. A few of these businesses tell 8 News Now there will be many assessments done today, with the main removal happening Wednesday.
Wind gusts of up to 66 mph were recorded at Hoover Dam and 61 mph at Nellis Air Force Base.
A cold front moving into the valley will result in a big weather change with strong, gusty winds and a major drop in temperatures.
A high wind advisory is in effect for the valley and winds are expected to be 25 to 35 mph with gusts from 50 to 55 mph possible. There is a high wind warning for Lake Mead and the Colorado River, with north winds 30 to 40 mph and gusts between 50 to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Trees pushing against power lines caused some outages. Traffic lights at some intersections were reported to be out of service.
Smoke and other pollutants can aggravate respiratory diseases and contribute to ground-level ozone formation which can induce coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath even in healthy people.
A dust storm north of Las Vegas caused visibility problems on US 93.
Temperatures which have been at record highs during recent weeks will drop significantly. The high temperature for Tuesday is expected to be in the mid-80s with the overnight low in the 60s. The valley temperatures will heat up again by the weekend.
