As you undoubtedly have heard, the high temperature in Las Vegas will peak near 112 degrees on Thursday. Seven things you should know about the forecasted high of 112:
— First, that forecasted high is for Las Vegas’s airport. But as someone famously observed, no one actually lives at the airport.
— Second, it’ll be cooler at higher elevations such as Mount Charleston. It will even be slightly cooler in the western Las Vegas Valley, home to Peccole Ranch and other master-planned communities. The forecast for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the far western valley is for a comparatively mild 104 degrees.
— Third, the extreme weather is being driven by a heat dome, a massive area of high pressure that lodges over a region, CNN reported. A heat dome can trap air and heat it with sunshine for days or weeks, CNN said. The resulting heat becomes more intense the longer a heat dome lasts. And you are not alone: Some nearly 19 million people in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and South Texas are affected.
— No. 4, it’ll be hotter on the pool deck — whether it’s yours, a friend’s or whether you are somehow able to finagle your way into a casino pool. However, just because you don’t have access to a casino pool doesn’t mean refreshing oases of water are not available. Clark County Parks and Recreation has more than a dozen pools open. Call 702 455-8200 for more information.
— No. 5, it’ll be cooler inside — presuming (knock on wood), that you or your employer’s A/C unit is functioning. Those are always subject to chance. A/C units are mechanical things and, as such, are subject to breakdowns.
Ironically, while excessive heat is building outside, it will remain cold — often icily cold — inside many of Las Vegas’s hotels and casinos. We noticed a server at one of Red Rock Resort’s restaurants on Wednesday who was wearing a sweater.
“Are you cold?” an observer asked.
“I’m always cold,” she said.
As anyone will attest, men and women in jackets and sweaters are common inside the often meat locker-like chill of many casinos.
— No. 6, it’s unusual for 112 to roll around in June. Typically, that happens later such as in July. As the conga line of meteorologists have been warning for days, it’s the earliest that 110 degrees or higher will make its Las Vegas appearance in years. The National Weather Service said in a post on X that the record for the earliest 110-degree day in Las Vegas is June 6, 2010.
The NWS also noted that high temperatures through the weekend will run 10-15 degrees above normal, with Thursday being the hottest day in the stretch. Numerous record-high temperatures may be set. The NWS says the average high should be around 97. However, we have to ask: With climate change and a growing population that comes with more asphalt and concrete, is that average really “average” anymore?
— No. 7, a temperature of 112 degrees is still several degrees shy of the all-time record. That’s 117. And it’s been hit five times — 1942, 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2021. Someday that record too will fall. The planet is warming, and Las Vegas is no longer the sleepy little desert town of 25,000 people it was in 1950. Maybe this year, maybe next year. But eventually. You can bet on it.
That’s seven things you should know. Here’s a bonus, No. 8 — the weather chatter will subside after Thursday. It will turn slightly cooler next week — but not by much. Next Wednesday is forecast to be near 110. There is that heat dome thing again.
However, sometime in October, fall will roll around. You can bet on that too.
