Las Vegas Weather Radar - Live Doppler Map (NV)

🌦️ Las Vegas Weather & Live Doppler Radar Guide

Las Vegas is nestled in the arid Las Vegas Valley within the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada. Surrounded by rugged mountain ranges including the Spring Mountains and Mount Charleston, the city features a hot desert climate with over 310 days of sunshine per year and summer highs routinely topping 105 degrees Fahrenheit. While rainfall is sparse averaging just over 4 inches annually, the summer North American Monsoon (July through September) brings sudden, violent thunderstorm clusters. The impervious desert soils and extensive urban concrete cause rapid water runoff into the Las Vegas Wash, creating extreme flash flooding hazards in Clark County.

📡 NOAA NEXRAD Station: KESX (Nelson / Las Vegas, NV)

Our live Las Vegas radar streams Level-III NEXRAD data from NOAA station KESX, located on Nelson Peak in southern Clark County. Station KESX operates with S-band dual-polarization technology, allowing meteorologists to scan precipitation cores, detect dry microburst wind gusts exceeding 60 mph, and monitor severe monsoon rainfall over the Las Vegas Strip, Henderson, and Summerlin.

🎨 How to Read Doppler Reflectivity (dBZ Scale)

Radar reflectivity measures precipitation density in decibels of Z (dBZ). Use this color reference when monitoring approaching storms on the Las Vegas radar:

⚠️ Seasonal Severe Storm Threats in Las Vegas

Summer monsoon thunderstorms can produce intense microbursts that knock down trees and power lines, accompanied by dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning. Rapid desert flash floods can turn city streets and casino parking structures into raging torrents in less than 20 minutes.