Gusty winds knock out fall festivals, blow dust

Flights delayed as visibility affected

Gusty winds can be dangerous, according to the weather service, as tree limbs can be blown down and power outages can occur. Motorists should use extra caution when driving, especially when handling a high profile vehicle. Outdoor objects need to be secured.

Gusting winds reached 65 mph at Red Rock Canyon on Saturday afternoon and stayed strong well into the evening.

The winds also caused the first day of the When We Were Young music festival planned for the Las Vegas Festival Grounds to be called off. On Friday, a beer festival scheduled for downtown met the same fate.

The 65 mph gust was recorded at Red Rock around 1:34 p.m. Harry Reid International Airport had a gust of 52 mph shortly before 5 p.m. while Nellis Air Force Base topped out at 52 mph with more than a dozen such gusts during the afternoon and into the evening.

Arrival delays at Reid that had been averaging 15 minutes or less were rising, with some arrivals delayed an average of 2 hours and 38 minutes as of 7:45 p.m. Saturday, according to a Federal Aviation Administration website. Departures were averaging delays between 15 and 29 minutes as of 6 p.m.

The weather service did not have reports of any damage, but most mountain ranges around the valley were obscured by dust early in the afternoon. Visibility at the Las Vegas airport was down to 4 miles most of the day.

Gusty winds can be dangerous, according to the weather service, as tree limbs can be blown down and power outages can occur. Motorists should use extra caution when driving, especially when handling a high-profile vehicle. Outdoor objects need to be secured.

While the forecast for late Saturday night called for a 20 percent chance of showers and the possibility of more blowing dust, Sunday’s outlook is more promising, with a forecast of sunny skies and a high near 67.

Earlier Saturday, the Clark County

Department of Environment and Sustainability issued a dust advisory to warn residents and construction sites of possible elevated levels of blowing dust because of the forecast of high winds.

Airborne dust is a form of air pollution called particulate matter, or PM, which aggravates respiratory diseases. Under windy conditions, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children may feel better staying indoors as much as possible because they could be at greater risk from particulates, especially when they are physically active, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult your physician if you have a medical condition that makes you sensitive to air pollution.