August stays on track to be hottest ever in Las Vegas
The hottest August in Las Vegas weather history shows little sign of cooling off.
An excessive heat warning has been issued for Southern Nevada, except for higher elevations, and runs through 8 p.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service warning was first issued for the Colorado River Valley, Pahrump, Searchlight and Mesquite, but it was expanded early Tuesday to include the Las Vegas Valley.
The Tuesday and Wednesday high temperatures are forecast at 109 at McCarran International Airport with a 108 projected for Thursday, according to the latest forecast.
Tuesday will be the 55th consecutive day with a high of at least 100 at the airport. The record is 66 days set in 1944.
95.8 average in August
Through Monday, the average August temperature (the daily high and low averaged out) was 95.8 degrees. The record is 94.4 degrees for all of August 2018.
Stormy Sunsets 🌄🌦️
As storms across the region dissipate for the night, they certainly make for some beautiful sunsets!
📸 Who else got nice sunset photos this evening?#VegasWeather #NvWx #CaWx #AzWx pic.twitter.com/g0bhXytj6N— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) August 25, 2020
“The high low temperatures have been well above normal,” weather service meteorologist Todd Lericos said. “That is what drives the excessive heat warnings.”
The Monday high at McCarran was 107, and at 4 a.m. Tuesday the reading at McCarran was 89.
‘Cooler’ weekend
After Thursday, the weather service is projecting highs around 103-105 this weekend.
“That could lower the average, but we’ll have to see how it works out,” Lericos said.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.
