Las Vegas heat wave continues with record high Tuesday
Simply hot, 24/7.
The extended heat wave in Las Vegas continued Tuesday with a high of 114 degrees, breaking the 1992 record of 111.
🥵 Another scorcher is in store today! Be sure to dress appropriately, stay hydrated, and limit outdoor activities to the cooler parts of the day if you can! #azwx #nvwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/mrilvCEGhj
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) August 18, 2020
The Tuesday morning low bottomed out at 90 shortly before 7 a.m. at McCarran International Airport before rising quickly to 96 by 8 a.m. The temperature had risen to 109 by 1 p.m.
Tuesday was the 48th consecutive day with a high of 100 or more, the second-longest stretch of triple-digit highs in Las Vegas weather history. The July 1 high was 99. The record is 66 consecutive days from June 27 to Aug. 31, 1944. The mark could be broken Sept. 6.
The record of consecutive 110 degree or hotter days is 10 days from June 16 to June 26, 1961, according to the weather service. Tuesday was the fifth straight day of 110 degrees or higher. The forecast for the weekend shows highs of about 107.
Temperatures will ease a bit for the rest of the week with highs of 107 to 111 and overnight lows around 90.
An excessive heat warning remains in effect through 10 p.m. Thursday.
The sky was a bit hazy Tuesday because of smoke from several wildfires burning in the region.
⛈️ Storm chances today? Looks like the best bets are across Northwest AZ and the southern Mojave Desert. Watch for very strong wind gusts near Lake Mohave and Havasu this evening! ⛈️ #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/UBF7IH1r5w
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) August 18, 2020
Moisture may be forming
“It looks like as early as Sunday, but more likely on Monday, we may start to see a pattern change,” National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Outler said. “There is no rain in the forecast yet, but the high pressure will move toward the Four Corners area, and a hurricane off the Mexican coast could add some juice. We will be keeping an eye on it.”
Hurricane Genevieve reached Category 4 status early Tuesday off Baja California.
Death Valley reaches 127
A day after topping out at 130, Furnace Creek at Death Valley reached 127 on Monday.
The 130 reading was unofficially the hottest temperature since July 1913.
Death Valley hit a high of 126 on Tuesday, breaking the 2001 record of 125.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Alexis Ford contributed to this report.