6 hours ago, nWo said:

 

So is that what causes all sandstorms, or was this a more unusual type of sandstorm?

It was an unusual storm. A sandstorm warning was issued then a severe thunderstorm warning very quickly after. I've been in Vegas during high winds and sand alerts.  This was a lot worse. 

 

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

So is that what causes all sandstorms, or was this a more unusual type of sandstorm?

I watched just a bit of the video and it said it was a Vigra Bomb/Dry Micro Burst.  Here is the AI Overview from Google:

A virga bomb is a rare weather event where heavy rain from a thunderstorm evaporates before hitting the ground (virga), causing the air to cool rapidly and descend as a powerful downdraft. This can result in strong, damaging wind gusts, sometimes exceeding 100 mph, without any rain reaching the surface. 

Dry microbursts are localized downdrafts from thunderstorms that occur with little or no precipitation reaching the ground. They are characterized by strong winds spreading outwards from the point of impact at the surface, and are particularly dangerous because they can be difficult to spot due to the lack of visible rain. These events are common in drier climates, like the Western US and the Great Plains, where precipitation can evaporate before hitting the ground. 

Mother Nature is AWESOME!  She will take whatever we can throw at her and kick our butts in return.

That's wild. Has Vegas experienced one of these before? 

On 7/4/2025 at 9:33 PM, sportsfan41 said:

That's wild. Has Vegas experienced one of these before? 

They have had some wild weather in Vegas. I know if you go in April, you should plan on high winds that will cause blowing dust. My wife and I have been in a couple of those. I believe back in 2019 or so, they had a snowstorm where some parts of the region got about several inches of snow. Las Vegas sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. So that affects the weather there. 

1 hour ago, nWo said:

They have had some wild weather in Vegas. I know if you go in April, you should plan on high winds that will cause blowing dust. My wife and I have been in a couple of those. I believe back in 2019 or so, they had a snowstorm where some parts of the region got about several inches of snow. Las Vegas sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. So that affects the weather there. 

Yeah, I've been to Vegas and drove all over when we were out there about 10 weeks before Covid kicked off. I'd just never heard of that weather phenomenon out there. We rented a car with another couple, drove out to Death Valley, The Hoover Dam, Zion National Park. We were all over the place. I didn't place a single bet when we were out there. Just doesn't do much for me.