Vegas hottest summer: Daily high averaged 107.6, topping 1940 record

The hottest summer in recorded Las Vegas weather history ended with something extremely rare this year — a few sprinkles of rain in parts of the southeast valley.

With an official high of 104 degrees Saturday, the month closed as the fourth hottest August in history with an average daily temperature of 94.2. The record remains 95.6 set in 2020.

For the three months that comprise meteorological summer, Las Vegas finished with an average daily temperature of 96.2, easily surpassing the 2018 record of 93.7, according to National Weather Service records that date to 1937.

“We blew (the summer) record out of the water,” weather service meteorologist Morgan Stessman said.

For August, the official measuring station at the Las Vegas airport logged six days at 110 or hotter, 16 days at 105 or hotter and 27 of the 31 days reached 100 or hotter.

During the three months of summer, the airport logged 36 days at 110 or hotter, 69 at 105 or hotter and 86 (out of 91) at 100 or hotter.

Other records set include average high temperature for the three months at 107.6, surpassing the 1940 reord of 106.2 and average low temperature of 84.8, well ahead of the 2018 record of 82.3.

The heat took a deadly toll on valley residents with the Clark County coroner’s office reporting 181 deaths from Jan. 1 to late August. That toll included only deaths in which relatives had been notified. Many deaths take weeks or months to be fully determined.

The prolonged summer prompted some to worry what it means over the long term for those who live in the Las Vegas Valley, located in the northern Mojave Desert.

Dr. Joanne Leovy, a retired Las Vegas physician who founded Nevada Clinicians for Climate Action after noticing a spike in heat-related health issues among her patients, worries about the future of the everyday Las Vegan.

“This is exactly we expect with climate change: longer and more severe heat waves,” she said. “Here in Southern Nevada, we’re only at the tip of the iceberg.”

Bit of rain ends month

The Saturday afternoon rainfall dropped a 16th of an inch near Seven Hills in Henderson with a few east Henderson rain gauges showing an eighth of an inch. The airport received a trace.

For the weather service staff at the South Decatur Boulevard office, the record summer made for a heightened sense of heat awareness.

“Especially in July with all the heat we were busy, but other than the records we had to focus on communicating the risk that heat brings (to people),” Stessman said.

While not as hot as July, the August heat posed problems for many, including students in classes.

Students who were in class about half of the month in Las Vegas were greeted by less intense temperatures than July’s all-time record of 120 degrees.

With highs still near 100 degrees, and many like educator Vicki Kreidel worry about the city’s future in the face of climate change.

“Any educator can tell you that students are more distracted when they’re uncomfortable,” said Kreidel, president of the National Education Association of Southern Nevada. “Not addressing what’s happening and how it will affect our schools is a recipe for disaster.”

Hottest month ever

Only a tenth of a degree kept the Las Vegas airport from reaching 100 degrees for its average July temperature.

The hottest Las Vegas month ever finished at 99.9, well ahead of the record set just last year at 97.3.

July 7, of course, the hottest temperature ever at 120 degrees, was the zenith for the year, surpassing the previous mark of 117 set a handful of times.

Other July heat records included:

— Seven consecutive days with a high of 115 or higher.

— 41 days with highs of 105 or higher (dated back into June).

— 11 consecutive days with a high of 110 or more. The previous record was 10 set in July last year.

Many residents without air conditioning found some refuge in cooling centers nearly every day in July.

Esther David sat smiling in a heavily air-conditioned room early in the month at the Courtyard Homeless Resource Center.

“It’s too damn hot outside,” the 72-year-old said. “It’s way too hot.”

Just outside, dozens of people sat on the streets in 109-degree heat, some with towels on their heads to cover them from the sun.

Hot June start

June 2024 was not only the hottest on local record — it smashed existing records, said the weather service.

The June daily average temperature was 94.6 degrees, nearly two degrees hotter the 92.8 record in 2016.

The average daily high was 106.2 and average daily low was 83.

Death Valley’s record heat

July at Death Valley National Park was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, with an average temperature of 108.5 degrees. It was an unofficial record, a weather service spokesman said in early August. That’s because the World Meteorological Organization needs to ratify the results.

The park reached 120 or hotter on 37 days and 63 days at 115 or hotter.

The hottest day was July 7 at 129, the same day Las Vegas reached its 120 record.

Warm September start

September is forecast to start 3 to 4 degrees above normal each day and the weather service’s climate prediction center shows a 60 to 70 percent chance of Las Vegas temperatures being above normal through at least the middle of the month.

“It’s starting warm, but not as hot as July, thankfully,” Stessman said.

September is the last month of monsoon season. The airport has received an eighth of an inch during the season this year, compared to 2.88 inches last year.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.