Gusty winds in Las Vegas region may pose travel, fire dangers
Gusts up to 40 to 50 mph could cause hazardous travel and increased fire conditions across the Las Vegas region Friday.
A red flag warning is in place for most of Clark County and adjacent counties from noon through 8 p.m. Friday.
It will be sunny with patches of blowing dust after 2 p.m. A high near 91 degrees is forecast.
South-to-southwest winds from 8 to 18 mph will increase to 29 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
Saturday’s high will drop to 84. North-to-northwest winds will be 6 to 15 mph with gusts up to 22 mph.
Sunday should have a high of 89, with 93 expected on Memorial Day. Temperatures are expected to rise to 107 by Thursday.
😞Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. 🌡️Near to below normal temps this weekend will be on the rise going into next week. 🥵By Wednesday, we could see the hottest temps so far this year. #nvwx #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/BwTvz9RBpH
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) May 21, 2020
Red flag warning
With the red flag warning, the biggest risk for fires is in northwest Arizona, according to the weather service.
Dry ground conditions combined with low humidity and southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph that can gust to 50 mph will increase the risk of fires. Any fires are likely to spread rapidly, and outdoor burning is not recommended.
“Fire weather conditions will become critical around midday, then abate this evening as winds die down and relative humidity begins to recover,” the warning stated.
A wind advisory covers portions of Southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California from noon to 8 p.m. Friday.
Southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph are expected.
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Blowing dust and sand may reduce visibility for brief periods.
Winds could make travel difficult, especially for motorcycles, large trucks, trailers, and campers. Boaters on Lake Mead and Lake Mohave should use caution.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.
