109, anyone? Extreme heat warning issued for Las Vegas, cooling stations activated

May started out cooler and wetter than normal in Las Vegas. It’s going to end much differently.

An extreme heat warning has been issued for Southern Nevada later this week, about a week after the valley saw its first 100-degree day of 2025.

The warning, issued by the National Weather Service, starts at 9 a.m. Friday and expires at 11 p.m. Saturday. It covers much of the Mojave Desert, including Las Vegas and the Colorado River Valley.

According to the weather service, temperatures Friday and Saturday will reach 104 to 108 degrees in the Lake Mead area, 100 to 105 in the Mojave Desert, and 105 to 109 in the valleys of Southern Nevada, including in Pahrump and Las Vegas. Temperatures over 115 are likely in Death Valley.

The heat could break records Friday and Saturday. The average high for late May is in the low 90s.

The agency is warning valley residents to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”

Clark County has activated cooling stations for Friday and Saturday during daytime hours for all members of the public, including those experiencing homelessness. For the full list of cooling stations, visit helphopehome.org/get-help.

Cooling Stations Flier English by Las Vegas Review-Journal on Scribd

Fortunately, the heat won’t last.

A cold front is expected to arrive Sunday, the first day of June, dropping the temperature by 10 degrees. Next week’s highs are expected to be seasonal.

Up and down in May

Las Vegas has been on a weather roller coaster this month. Thanks to a spring storm in the first week of the month, May 2025 became the wettest May on record for the valley.

Then the temperatures soared. On May 11, parts of the valley saw 99 degrees. Then the temperatures dipped again. Strong winds and a few showers invaded the region, affecting the Electric Daisy Carnival.

2025 heat

— On March 26, Las Vegas recorded its first 90 degree day.

— On Feb. 3, Las Vegas saw its first 80-degree temperature in what turned out to be the third-warmest February on record since 1937.

— A day after setting a record high of 93 degrees, Las Vegas officially hit 96 degrees April 11.

— Las Vegas had its first 100-degree day of the year Thursday.