With about 400 cloud to ground strikes on July 16, and many more cloud-to-cloud strikes, the light show was amazing to witness. This strike was one of about 400 to reach the ground in a recent storm. Photo by Stephanie Frehner.
Anyone who was able to look out a window on the evening of July 16 would have been met with the flash of light from all around them.
With monsoon season in full swing for the Mohave Desert, storms are to become more frequent, as with the past week. Some will bring much-needed rain, but others will provide enough thunder and lightning for some free entertainment.
“It’s always a tough question to answer,” said National Weather Service Las Vegas Meteorologist Reid Wolcott. “While it doesn’t look like there were many (if any) actually in Mesquite, but there were roughly 400 in the greater Mesquite area (down to Logandale, up to Littlefield).
Wolcott also noted that the cloud-to-cloud strikes are harder to monitor and that there were probably a lot more of those.
Monsoon season has arrived, and Mesquite was graced with a lightning storm Sunday night, July 16, like no other. This is one example of a cloud-to-cloud strike that was more common to see during recent storms. Photo by Breanna Freeman.
Monsoon season in the Virgin Valley generally makes an appearance between July and September, producing high temperatures along with high winds, thunderstorms and the occasional rain that can lead to flash flooding.
