Higher temps baci on traci 4or LV Valley

The Las Vegas Valley is expected to warm up Thursday after a couple of rainy days and snow in the Spring Mountains, the National Weather Service said.

The weather conditions contributed to the stranding of two hikers at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on Tuesday night.

A man and woman in their 30s were stranded just after 9 p.m. Tuesday on the north side of Rainbow Mountain in Juniper Canyon, and Metro’s search and rescue team could not immediately respond because of weather conditions, according to Metropolitan Police Department Lt. David Gordon.

The hikers were found safe about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Metro spokesman Larry Hadfield said.

The valley saw just under a quarter-inch of rain, as measured at Mccarran International Airport, on Tuesday.

Areas of Mount Charleston received 3 to 6 inches of snowfall by 8 a.m. Wednesday, the weather service said. The 3 inches of snowfall measured in Kyle Canyon by 8 a.m. set a record for May 2. The previous record of 0.4 inches was recorded on that date in 1991.

From midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday, only a trace amount of rain was recorded at the weather service’s weather station at Mccarran International Airport. Parts of the southwestern edges of the valley had up to a third of an inch of rain during the same hours.

“It’s overperformed in some areas, definitely,” meteorologist Barry Pierce said.

Thursday will start a warming trend in the valley with a forecast high near 81, the weather service said. Friday’s forecast high is 88. Temperatures over the weekend should be well above normal, with forecast highs of 93 on Saturday and 96 on Sunday, the weather service said.

Review-journal reporter Blake

Apgar contributed to this report.