Las Vegas heads into fall with cooler temps

Monsoon season? More like “nonsoon season,” as the Las Vegas Valley saw only 0.04 inch of rain between June 21 and Sept. 22, 95 percent lower than the summer average.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ashley Wolf said Nevada doesn’t have an exact start or end date for the monsoon season, but it’s typically considered to go from the first or second week of July through the end of September. The remainder of September is expected to see more fall weather than monsoon moisture.

“If I had to bet on it, in true Las Vegas fashion, I would say it looks like the monsoon season has come to an end,” Wolf said. “But I can’t say it with 100 percent certainty just yet.”

According to the National Weather Service, the uneventful monsoon season is partly to blame for this year’s string of above-average highs. Over the 94-day period, 73 days saw highs at or above 100 degrees, and 10 of those days saw highs at or above 110.

The hottest day of summer was Aug. 5, when the high hit 113, the lowest high temperature in a summer since 2015. Last year the hottest day was 115. In 2017 it was 117, and in 2016 it was 115. Through the summer this year, the valley saw an average high of about 102 and an average overall temperature of about 92.

Sunday’s high hit 89 degrees, and the morning low was about 63, the National Weather Service said.

Fall kicked off at 12:50 a.m. Monday — the autumnal equinox — with an expected high of 89 degrees and a low of 67. Light winds will pick up in the afternoon, and there’s a 10 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms Monday afternoon and evening.

Tuesday should stay dry with a forecast high of 94 and a low of 72. Wednesday’s high should reach 95 before temperatures begin to fall again.

Thursday and Friday should see highs of 92 and 88, respectively.

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.