Las Vegas reaches 113 again, ties 1939 record as heat wave continues

Las Vegas hit 113 degrees today, tying the daily record of 111 set in 1939, according to John Salmen of the National Weather Service.

The valley is in the middle of an extended August heat wave which has broken a few records. The region is under an excessive heat warning through Wednesday.

Saturday’s high topped out at 113 degrees, tying the record for the day and for the hottest day of 2020, according to the National Weather Service.

The record high for Aug. 17-19 is 111 degrees. The highs on those dates this year — Monday through Wednesday — are expected to be 113, 113 and 112, respectively, according to meteorologist Trevor Boucher.

The heat is coming from an area of high pressure causing the atmosphere to be heavier, Boucher said. The length of the heat wave makes it especially dangerous.

“There’s a perception that it’s hot in the summer; it’s supposed to happen,” he said. “This is a prolonged period of heat, and this shouldn’t be taken as a normal thing.”

The heat wave has caused the low temperature for each day to barely fall below 90 — meaning many air conditioning units may not be getting a break. There’s also an increased risk of power shortages, he added.

The weather service issued an excessive heat warning that may persist throughout the week and into next weekend, he said.

People should also be aware of the dangers of hiking during hot weather, Boucher said.

“You think everything’s fine and then you can’t walk anymore,” he said, adding it takes time for search-and-rescue teams to find people. “This is not the time to be rolling the dice on that type of thing.”

The record-breaking heat wasn’t contained to Las Vegas.

On Sunday, Death Valley National Park recorded a preliminary high of 130 degrees, which may be one of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the park.

Contact Alex Chhith at achhith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0290. Follow @alexchhith on Twitter.