Las Vegas on track for hottest summer on record
How much hotter can it get? Just maybe we don’t want to find out.
Early Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued an “excessive heat watch” for Southern Nevada from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. The agency warned of “dangerously hot conditions,” with temperatures between 110 and 115 degrees in the valley.
Record heat numbers are only escalating as Las Vegas reaches the halfway point of meteorological summer.
Through Tuesday, basically the midpoint of three months of summer, the average daily temperature for the first 16 days of July at Harry Reid International Airport is 100.6. The average daily low this month is 87.9 and average daily high is 113.3.
That is more than 3 degrees higher than the July 2023 record of 97.3.
“We are ahead of that and still climbing,” National Weather Service meteorologist John Adair said. “With a forecast for the next week of daily lows at 90 and afternoon highs at 110 to 113, the daily average will only go up.”
The past June produced a daily average of 94.6 with an average low of 83.0 and an average high of 106.2.
Wednesday will be more of the daily dose of sunshine, heat and calm winds. A high near 111 is forecast, a degree high of the 110 highs on Monday and Tuesday. Winds will be 5-7 mph in the afternoon.
Monsoon rains are possible each day starting Thursday through Tuesday, Adair said.
“With the high pressure moving a little east, moisture over Utah and Arizona will drift back to us over the weekend,” Adair said.
Cooling stations to open
Because of the excessive heat warning by the weather service, cooling stations will be activated Friday through Sunday, according to Clark County.
Clark County and community partners are opening cooling stations for the public during daytime hours. A list of confirmed sites, including community centers and libraries, is available and online at HelpHopeHome.org.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.