100-degree temps lead to excessive heat watch for Sunday
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Sunday as temperatures are expected to soar into the triple-digits.
Las Vegas Valley dwellers will get a taste of the 100-degree weather Saturday — the first time this year — as a high-pressure system moves in and lingers for a few days.
The system, which won’t move out of the area until Tuesday, will bring light winds and temperatures 15 to 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year, according to the weather service.
If Sunday’s forecast proves true and the mercury hits 103 degrees at McCarran International Airport, the valley might break a 39-year-old record. The temperature on May 17, 1970, was 102 degrees, according to meteorologist Faith Borden.
Monday temperatures also have a record-breaking shot. The temperature is expected to reach 103 degrees; the record of 104 degrees was set last year.
For those who can’t bear the thought of triple-digit heat this early in the year, here are a few suggestions:
— Head to Mount Charleston. The temperature is expected to hover in the high 70s, pleasant but still warm for the mountain.
— Don’t peek your head out the door until the evening hours, when Las Vegas Valley temperatures will dip into the upper 70s.
— Live in the past. The record low-high for this time of year is 67 degrees; the record low is 43 degrees.
The high-pressure system will be replaced by a low-pressure system off the coast of California early next week. The temperature Tuesday is expected to be about 99 degrees and on Wednesday, 95 degrees. Because the system is coming off the coast, it will bring more humidity, forecasters said.
Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.
