Las Vegas expected to get first 100-degree day of the year Monday
Monday is expected to hit 101 degrees, which would make it the first day of triple-digit temperatures this year in Las Vegas.
It’s slightly earlier than average, but not a record. The earliest day on record that the mercury hit 100 was on May 1, 1947, according to the National Weather Service.
The average day for temperatures to reach 100 degrees for the first time is May 26, said John Adair, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
The longest it took to hit triple digits in Las Vegas was in 1965, when the temperature didn’t reach 100 until June 30.
With the hot forecast comes a reminder from the Las Vegas Fire Department that safety precautions should be taken to avoid dehydration or worse.
Parents shouldn’t leave children or pets in parked vehicles, as the temperatures can be fatal, said Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski.
Anyone seeing a child or pet in a parked vehicle should call 911, he said.
Other safety tips: drink plenty of fluids, put on sun block and take plenty of breaks in a cool place when working outdoors. Water is the best hydrator, and alcoholic drinks aren’t.
But heat-related problems aren’t limited to tourists chugging drinks along the Strip — it also happens to locals who have experienced hot weather in past summers.
“It’s people who have lived here a long time,” Szymanski said. “They just think they can push it a little more than they should.”
Feeling dizzy and lightheaded are signs of heat exhaustion. The cure is simple: resting in a cool place and drinking water.
Heat stroke, on the other hand, needs immediate medical attention. When that happens, the person faints and has hot, red skin and isn’t sweating.
Relief from 100-degree weather is ahead later next week. Wednesday will see a high of 97 degrees, and temperatures are expected to go down from there.
The forecast for Thursday calls for a high of 95, and Friday’s high will be just 90 degrees, according to the weather service.
Contact reporter Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-4519.
