Las Vegas hits 113, breaks daily record, ties hottest day of 2020
High temperatures are likely to continue breaking records this weekend during an an unusually long excessive heat warning lasting into next week in the Las Vegas Valley, the National Weather Service said.
“This is well above average; we’re talking about records being broke on both sides of the temperature — both the high and the low,” meteorologist Trevor Boucher said. “That’s not normal.”
Saturday’s high reached 113 degrees, tying this year’s hottest day, set on July 12 at McCarran International Airport, where the weather service takes official measurements. The Saturday high also broke the daily record high of 111 degrees, set on Aug. 15, 2002, the weather service said.
The excessive heat warning that began Friday morning is expected to last until 10 p.m. Wednesday. High temperatures will hover near 113., and there will be little relief from the heat as the daily low temperature won’t drop much.
The daily low temperatures, usually occurring between 4 and 7 a.m., could set records heat-wise, Boucher said. Saturday’s morning low, which only dropped to 87 degrees, broke the highest low temperature record of 86 degrees set on Aug. 15, 2016.
On Saturday, the Clark County Regional Flood Control District recorded .20 inches of rain at its rain gauge in Rainbow Canyon near Mount Charleston in the Spring Mountains.
Our rain gauge in Rainbow Canyon @GoMtCharleston recorded .20 inches of rain. Info on our website: https://t.co/xekLtE8xd2 Just click on I Want to ... See the rain gauges. https://t.co/jN1pbvOdr3
— Regional Flood (@RegionalFlood) August 15, 2020
Big heat continues
Highs are forecast at 113 on Sunday and Monday, which could not only tie for hottest temperature of the year but also tie or break two 1939 daily records.
If Sunday reaches 113, it will tie the daily record, and Monday’s matching prediction could break the 1939 record of 111.
Temperatures are predicted to reach 112 on Tuesday, 113 on Wednesday and 111 on Thursday. And overnight lows are set to hover at 88 and 89 degrees, Boucher said.
The normal high temperature for this time of year is 102, he said.
Boucher said that heat waves typically only last a few days, but an excessive heat warning for nearly a week is “abnormal.” Higher temperatures will make it harder for homeless people to get relief from the heat and can also strain the valley’s utilities.
“It’s a taxing time for when we get to this level of heat,” he said.
Cooling stations
Clark County announced that additional day shelters and cooling stations will be open during the heat wave for those needing a break from the elements:
■ Courtyard Homeless Resource Center, 1401 Las Vegas Blvd. North, open 24 hours.
■ Downtown Recreation Center, 105 W. Basic Road, open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays.
■ Cambridge Recreation Center, 3930 Cambridge St., open 7 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays.
■ Share Village Las Vegas, 50 N. 21st St., open 8 a.m.- 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.-noon daily for hydration only.
■ American Legion, 1510 Bruce Woodbury Drive, Laughlin, open on days with temperatures over 112 degrees from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. There is also an outside cooling station for pets on leashes.
■ Colorado River Food Bank, 240 Laughlin Civic Drive, Laughlin, open 8 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.
■ The Salvation Army Mesquite, 742 Pioneer Blvd., Mesquite, open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 8 a.m.-noon Friday.
The Salvation Army, 35 W. Owens Ave., is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. every day through Sept. 30 as a daytime shelter. The Shade Tree at 1 W. Owens Ave. is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. every day through Sept. 30 as a daytime shelter for women and children.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Review-Journal reporter Sabrina Schnur contributed to this report.
