Saturday, July 16, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

HEAT WAVE: No rain, no relief in sight

Monsoon remains in Mexico

Click image for enlargement. Graphic by Mike Johnson.

Temperatures in Las Vegas continued to flirt with record highs on Friday, reaching 113 degrees just after 4 p.m.

Friday's high was one degree short of the record for July 15, set in 1949. Friday's low temperature of 86 tied the record for the highest minimum temperature, set in 2002.

And there's no end in sight. Meteorologists predict the heat will top 110 degrees each day through at least Tuesday, beginning to taper off in the middle of next week.

Meteorologists blame a late monsoon season for the scorching heat.

"We're in a dry air mass that's allowing the temperatures to go up higher than they normally would," said National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Schlott.

"The wind flow at the upper levels has not been favorable to bringing the monsoon in from ol' Mexico," Schlott said.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for Clark, Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda counties through Sunday evening.

The heat gave some students in North Las Vegas a day off on Thursday. About 80 percent of the 725 students at Cozine Elementary School in North Las Vegas were kept home by parents after the school's air conditioning broke down late Wednesday. The remainder had classes in portable classrooms with their own air conditioners.

"The only ones who sweltered were those of us who work in the office," said principle Andrea Klafter-Phillips.

Regular classes resumed Friday.

Nevada Department of Transportation representative Bob McKenzie said the Freeway Service Patrol expects to see an increase in car breakdowns over the weekend due to overheating.

"We recommend that people carry water to drink in case of a break down, stay with their cars with the windows down, and shut the car off to prevent further overheating," McKenzie said.

The Freeway Service Patrol maintains six vans on Interstate 15 between St. Rose Parkway and Craig Road, and on U.S. Highway 95 between Horizon Ridge Parkway and Craig Road to assist with breakdowns.

Despite the ongoing heat wave, University Medical Center officials have not seen a spike this week in heat-related problems such as heat exhaustion and dehydration.

"People must be heeding the warnings," hospital spokeswoman Cheryl Persinger said.

But Persinger warns that triple-digit temperatures can cause unexpected injuries, especially to children.

"You can easily get a second- or third-degree burn from the asphalt or playground equipment," she said.

"Some people will go out to the car or mailbox without shoes on, thinking it's just a quick trip, and get halfway there before they have a problem."

No heat-related deaths were reported Friday, although officials suspect the death of a 44-year-old man Wednesday near East Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue was caused by the heat, which reached 104 degrees.

An official cause of death is being withheld pending a toxicology report.

Despite the near-record temperatures, the word on the street among weekend visitors was simple: Keep on keepin' on.

Mark Baldi, 31, a visitor from New York, braved the heat on Fremont Street on Friday.

Baldi said his weekend plans ("I'm here to watch poker and party") would not be affected by triple-digit heat.

Baldi's companion, Denise Raia, 36, agreed that the heat would not slow her down.

"We're not doing anything different other than wearing less clothes," she said..