Heat relief in August? Not in Las Vegas Valley
August will continue the scorching summer of heat the Las Vegas Valley has been experiencing, but rain might fall on a few parts of the valley, say forecasters.
July finished with an average temperature of 99.9 degrees, well above the record 97.3 reached last July. The average high temperature was 111.5 while the average low was 88.5. Each day reached 105 or hotter.
The first week of August shows a forecast of daily highs ranging from 105 to 111 and morning lows around 90.
The Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service says there is a 60 to 70 percent chance that the first half of August will see temperatures above normal in the Las Vegas Valley.
And cooler temperatures in the fall might also be fleeting.
“Fall is going to feel more like an extended summer for millions of Americans this year,” said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok. “Much of the country will experience a delayed transition to cooler temperatures this year, following a summer with intense heat. We’ve seen record-high temperatures shattered in several cities across California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and North Carolina this summer. We could see more record temperatures this fall.”
The AccuWeather 2024 U.S. Fall Forecast predicts temperatures are expected to hover 1 to 3 degrees or more above the historical average across much of the country, most of the time, from September through November.
Rain possible Thursday for several days
Rain could show up as early as Thursday afternoon as monsoonal clouds drift northward from Mexico and Arizona.
A 20 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms is forecast after 2 p.m., says the weather service. The high should be near 107 with a sunny sky.
Ozone should improve to moderate across the valley. On Wednesday it reached unhealthy for sensitive groups at most valley monitoring stations.
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 11 p.m., is expected. The Friday morning low will be around 90.
The chance of precipitation rises to 50 percent Friday while the expected high dips to 105.
“A little disturbance is moving through so not a great chance of rain on Thursday, but Friday afternoon is probably the best shot,” meteorologist Morgan Stessman said.
The forecast calls for a slight change of precipitation through Wednesday with highs escalating to 111.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.