Autumn record highs, lows forecast

The warm spell typically referred to as "Indian summer" continued its streak Wednesday in the Las Vegas Valley where the high temperature record of 84 degrees for Nov. 7 was set at 2:40 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday's high topped the previous mark of 83 from 1991 and surpassed all high temperatures on Nov. 7 for the past 70 years, National Weather Service meteorologist Barry Pierce said.

He also said the highest daily minimum temperature for Nov. 7 of 60 degrees was set Wednesday morning, exceeding the previous record for the date of 57 degrees in 2001.

National Weather Service records for Las Vegas go back to 1937 when the monitoring site was at what is now Nellis Air Force Base. The official site was moved to McCarran Field in 1948.

Pierce said the warm, dry, calm autumn weather that defines Indian summer in October and early November probably will continue. "Once again, it doesn't look like the pattern is going to change. We'll probably tie or break the record" today, he said.

The highest temperature recorded on Nov. 8 in Las Vegas was 83 degrees, a mark set in 1950. The highest minimum temperature for the date is 62 degrees in 2002.

"The outlook for the rest of the month and the winter season is to have above normal temperatures, which unfortunately for our drought conditions isn't what we want to hear," Pierce said.

He said there has been no measurable precipitation this month in the area.

Normally, the high temperatures for Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 are 70 and 69 degrees, respectively. The normal low for both dates is 47.