Valley residents play (and even go sledding) in the record-warm weather — PHOTOS
Sonja Barry was looking to wrap up her week in Las Vegas with something scenic Saturday morning. The Cincinnati resident decided to head out to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park for a tour.
"I've never been to the desert before," she said. "It's so naturally beautiful out here."
Saturday was a good choice for Barry to make the more than 20-mile trip west of the Strip.
"I picked the best day to come," she said.
Saturday's high temperature set a record at 74 degrees, eclipsing the old mark for Jan. 31, set in 2014, by a single degree.
"It's not terribly unusual to have a warm day in January," National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Outler said. "However, it is warmer than normal."
Outler said the normal high for Jan. 31 is 59.
Sisters-in-law Sara and Brittney Steele watched their 8-year-old sons try out for the Silverado Little League baseball team Saturday afternoon at Silverado Park in the south valley.
"I've been looking forward to today all week," Sara Steele said. "It's warm, which I love, but it's so windy."
The southern portion of the Las Vegas Valley experienced winds of 10-15 mph Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
Sara Steele said that if temperatures hit 70 degrees, she and Brittney will take their sons swimming, regardless of the wind.
"When it's 70 in Vegas, that's pool weather," she said.
Debbie Coe spent the afternoon having a picnic and walking around Silverado Park with her grandchildren, Jade, 11, and Payton, 7.
"We came to the park to enjoy the day and spend some quality time together," she said. "It's not too hot, and a little wind is OK."
It's a good thing they planned to get outside Saturday because the predicted weather for much of today is not nearly as inviting, with rain in the forecast.
Sharon Collett joined her son, Steven, a ninth-grader at Connections Academy, on a Saturday morning field trip to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.
"Its perfect timing to be out here today," she said. "Only in Vegas can you experience 70s during the day and have temperatures drop into the 40s overnight."
Collett said she's going to spend the rest of her Saturday doing yard work before rain sweeps into the valley.
"I'm going to get what I can done," she said. "Either way, we need the rain."
And rain is what Collett and the rest of the valley's residents and visitors can expect.
The valley should expect to see the most rain after noon today and into the evening. The weather service forecasts a 20 percent chance of rain that will increase to 60 percent in the afternoon and 80 percent in the evening.
The rain will bring hazardous travel conditions and reduced visibility, weather service meteorologist Justin Pullin said.
Monday morning commuters may see leftover showers, but rainfall should tail off before noon.
A winter weather warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Sunday for the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range, meaning conditions could include heavy snowfall, reduced visibility and dangerous travel. Mount Charleston is expected to receive a 6 to 12 inches, according to the weather service.
Snowfall will continue into Monday and could drop to elevations as low as 3,000 feet. The majority of the snow will fall at 4,000 feet and above, Pullin said.
— Reporter Lawren Linehan contributed to this story. Contact Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Find her on Twitter: @AnnFriedmanRJ.
