‘Take caution’: Las Vegas prepares for early summer heat

Air-conditioned spaces and extra hydration will be essential in the coming days as Southern Nevada and neighboring states experience the first heat wave of the year.

Wednesday’s 106 degree high in the valley was nearly 10 degrees above normal, and the triple-digit scorch is expected to persist at least through the weekend, said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Outler.

“Dangerous & potentially record breaking temperatures are expected over the next few days,” the weather service’s Las Vegas office warned in a tweet.

The weather service issued an excessive heat warning from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Saturday, and Clark County prepared to open cooling stations beginning Thursday.

“Please take caution if spending time outside,” the county tweeted.

Meteorologists forecast a high of 108 degrees for Thursday, moving up to 109 on Friday and Saturday. A slight reprieve is expected Sunday, when temperatures are projected to reach 103 degrees.

Afternoon breezes through the weekend were not expected to exceed 20 to 25 mph, Outler said.

Experts warned that sweltering conditions this early in the year could prove especially dangerous because people’s bodies have not adjusted to the heat.

In such conditions, people should avoid the outdoors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. if possible, Outler said. They also should drink plenty of water, even when not thirsty.

NV Energy spokeswoman Jennifer Schuricht said that the company had planned ahead “to ensure we are prepared to meet our customer’s energy needs,” adding that the utility was not planning to issue calls to conserve energy this week.

Triple digits across the Southwest

Scorching temperatures are in store for the southwestern U.S. over the next several days, with other cities like Phoenix and Palm Springs in California expected to top 110 degrees.

Parts of New Mexico and Texas also will see triple digits.

Heat is part of the normal routine of summertime in the desert, but weather forecasters say that doesn’t mean people should feel at ease. Excessive heat causes more deaths in the U.S. than other weather-related disasters, including hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined.

“Though weather conditions are going to be nice, you have to limit your outdoor activities significantly,” said Gabriel Lojero of the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

The temperatures forecast from Wednesday through Monday are the highest yet this year. Scientists say more frequent and intense heat waves are likely in the future because of climate change and a deepening drought.

The effects of spiking temperatures are felt most acutely among vulnerable populations, including people without homes and workers who labor outside. Homeless people are about 200 times more likely to die from heat-associated causes, said David Hondula, a climate scientist who leads the city of Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation.

At least 130 homeless individuals were among the 339 people who died from heat-associated causes last year in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, and has the highest population of any county in Arizona.

Phoenix already is considered the hottest big city in the United States. A heat wave last summer pushed temperatures up to 118 degrees.

Most everyone in Southern Nevada, central and southern Arizona, and southeast California will be at risk for heat-related illness if they don’t take proper precautions, Lojero said. Those include wearing light-colored clothing, staying hydrated and seeking shade if they need to go outside.

Temperatures are expected to tie or break records, even at night when it’s cooler, before dropping overall early next week.

Phoenix and Yuma are forecast to be just shy of 115 degrees on Saturday when the heat peaks across the region. Blythe and El Centro in California will be at or above that temperature.

Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon also will see triple-digit temperatures — a reminder that the weather changes drastically from the canyon’s rim to its inner depths.

Some places in New Mexico also are expected to see temperatures that could break records over the weekend. Thunderstorms over the next couple of days could cause flash flooding in areas that have been scorched by wildfire, forecasters said.

While temperatures had cooled this week in Texas, the heat is building through the weekend.

The sizzling numbers come ahead of the annual rainy season in the Southwest, known simply as the monsoon, that starts in mid-June and runs through September. Weather experts say the phenomenon has equal chances of being above, below and normal this year in Arizona.

— Review-Journal staff writers Ricardo Torres-Cortez and Sabrina Schnur contributed to this story.