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This is the closest thing to a blizzard I have ever seen in Vegas, so that’s what I am calling it.

I woke up to moderate rain this morning, and I flipped on the television to see how long it would last.

Imagine my surprise when I saw one of the local newsbimbos standing in a full blown snowstorm.

WTF?

She was reporting from Charleston and Fort Apache, which was about 8 miles from my house, and it looked like freaking Vermont.

(Click thumbnails to view larger images.)

Snowing in Summerlin

I haven’t seen natural snow on the ground since I moved to the Southwest. Before I moved to Las Vegas, I lived in Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. It didn’t snow in any of those neighborhoods either. I try not to travel back east during the winter because I don’t like getting snowed in at the airport. I have missed the last couple of blizzards back east.

All-told this is the first time I have been in the midst of snow since the year 2000.

Oh sure, I’ve always been able to see it. I could see Mt. Wilson from Los Angeles, and Mt. Charleston from Vegas … and when I fly back and forth to the East, I can almost always look down and see the snowcapped Rockies … but it’s been a looooong time since I’ve enjoyed a good snow shower.

After seeing the footage on TV, we hopped in our car and drove out to Red Rock Casino.

I have to tell you, it is the first time in my life that I have ever seen snow on top of palm trees. It was really cool.

Snow on Palm Trees

Snow on Palm Trees

Driving in the Snow

Snowing at the Red Rock Casino

Snowing at the Red Rock Casino

Snowing at the Red Rock Casino

Once we made our way out on Desert Inn Rd to the casino, we all piled out of the car, and began to play in the stuff. We were literally having one of those “Winter Wonderland” scenes where everyone was going nuts throwing snow around. We had a snowball fight, and were just flinging the stuff all over the place.

Keep in mind that this entire scene was playing out in the parking lot of the Red Rock Casino, so we drew some attention. Apparently Red Rock Security called the Metro Police on us to see what in the hell we were doing, and when the officers rode up and noticed us firing snowballs at each other, they yelled “No throwing snowballs!” out of the cruiser window.

When I looked over at the officer like he was nuts, he cracked a smile and wished us happy holidays. Fortunately, his order was a joke. I talked with the main cop for a couple of minutes before they drove off. I assume he reported back to security that we were just a bunch of idiots who hadn’t seen snow in eight years and that we were not a threat to life, limb, or the financial security of the Station Casinos conglomerate.

I swear those asstards at Stations are the most paranoid individuals in town. Station Casinos are one of the few places left in town that I get harassed for taking a simple snapshot. They need to lighten the hell up. It’s not my fault their profits are in the shitter. I try to make photo reports from their properties whenever I can, but I swear they don’t make it easy.

Most casinos are just happy to see people now, Stations still acts like a corporate dildo.

“I have a camera warn near the unoccupied slot machines.”

Hey Stations … TERRORISTS DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU.

There, I said it.

Someone had to.

Anyway, we did our best to roll up enough snow to make a snowman, but 1/20th of an inch just isn’t enough to get the job done.

Snowman

So, I improvised.

Snow boobs.

Snowboobs

Snowboobs

Really, it was the best I could do given the circumstances. I think they are solid C cups, although the shape leaves something to be desired. It looks like plastic surgery gone horribly awry, but then again, I have yet to see a snowman that actually looks like a human.

After about 20 minutes, we had had enough. None of us could feel our hands anymore, and our feet were frozen. Everyone wanted to climb back into the car and turn on the heater. It took us less than half an hour to hate snow again. I’m really more of a rain person anyway.

While driving by the entrance of the casino, this man had just slipped in some ice slush and was being assisted back in.

man just slipped in ice slush

man just slipped in ice slush

Driving back toward The Strip was a cool lesson in geography.

My current home is at an elevation of 2,025 feet above sea level. Red Rock Casino is at an elevation of 3,050 feet above sea level.

That 1,000 feet makes all the difference in the world.

I got on my favorite east-west thoroughfare (Desert Inn Rd), and watched as the topography changed with each stoplight.

snow on cars

snowing at Desert Breeze Park

less snow at Desert Inn and Jones

slush and cold rain at Desert Inn and Decatur

Fontainebleau from Desert Inn and Valley View

Snow accumulation stopped at exactly Durango Dr. at 2,620 feet.

Snow stopped falling, and it was all rain from Jones Blvd. At 2,300 feet.

Basically, I live about 275 feet out of the snow zone.

By the time I got to The Strip, it was just rain. No snow at all … although the Stratosphere was clearly up in the white stuff. I could not even see the top.

Encore, Fontainebleau, and the Stratosphere

Palazzo, Venetian, and Treasure Island

Encore and Wynn

Wynn, Encore, and Trump

It’s also worth noting I have started being able to discern the altitude gain from here to the Summerlin area. Breathing becomes a little shorter and more rapid with each block. I used to not notice it, but I’m getting old. I can actually feel the thinner air on my respiration now. It’s not dramatic, but there is a difference.

Passing through the microclimates of the Las Vegas Valley is really cool when snow shows up, and this is the first time I have done it .. and also the last time I will do it.

Why?

People cannot drive. Man, the near-misses were scary. People can’t drive when it is sunny and clear out here. Throw in any kind of precipitation, and it is chaos. I am not chasing snow with these Mario Kart drivers anymore. You literally take your life into your own hands getting on roads with the weather like this.

But … it was nice to see once.

I had heard that it did, indeed, snow here … but I have always lived too close to the action to see it for myself. The Strip is usually too low in altitude, and creates too much of a heat island to get any measurable snow.

However … finally … today, I can officially say that I have been in the middle of a Las Vegas blizzard.

Just think, three short months ago it was well above 100 degrees, and now it’s snowing.

Las Vegas doesn’t have much in the way of weather, but every now and then, it gets interesting.

This was one of those days.

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