Winds will keep fire risk high in Las Vegas Valley

Winds will continue to blow through the Las Vegas Valley through the weekend, increasing the risk for fires, according to the National Weather Service.

After a high of 100 on Thursday, overnight temperatures were expected to drop to 74 degrees overnight with light winds, meteorologist Alex Boothe said.

No rain is forecast through early next week at least, meaning vegetation will be dry and easily ignited.

“Even if there’s a little wind, you can definitely get ignition with sparks and really dry grass,” Boothe of the potential for fires caused by fireworks. “The risk is definitely going to be there tonight.”

Temperatures on Friday are expected to reach 103 degrees, with sunny skies and wind gusts between 15 and 20 mph in the afternoon, he said.

Saturday and Sunday will see highs of 103 and 102, respectively. Saturday is expected to be sunny with wind gusts around 20 mph, while Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy with gusts up to 25 mph.

Sunny skies will return Monday and Tuesday, as will the winds. Forecast highs are 98 and 99, respectively. Overnight lows through that period will be in the 70s.

Temperatures are set to rise after Tuesday, with highs climbing well into the 100s, Boothe said.

“It’s about time we’ve had some really warm temperatures,” he said.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.