The extreme heat that baked Las Vegas this week is finally moving away.
Harry Reid International Airport reached 107 degrees at 1:39 p.m. on Friday, falling two degrees short of the record set in 1945, said Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas.
On Thursday, during the peak of the heat wave, the airport reached 107, falling one degree short of the record set in 1945. Southern Nevada was under an extreme heat warning Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The valley has topped the century mark since Tuesday; it was 104 on Wednesday.
But cooler temperatures are on the way for the weekend.
A high-pressure system that normally sits over the Four Corners region (which brings the chances of monsoon rain to Las Vegas) is shifting east, Murdock said. And a “pretty strong” low pressure system from the Pacific Northwest will come close enough to Southern Nevada to cause breezier conditions and a drop in temperatures.
Also, a fire weather warning has been issued for Southern Nevada for Saturday, the weather service said.
Expect “hot, dry, & windy conditions,” which will result in elevated fire danger for portions of the area. Winds will come from the south at 20-25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph.
The forecast high for Saturday is 102; Sunday is 100. The average high for mid-September is in the upper 90s.
Last Sunday, Harry Reid International Airport recorded a cool 84 degrees, thanks to cloud cover from the threat of rain.
Record summer heat
Last month was the warmest August on record, with an average temperature of 96.3 degrees, beating out 2020 (95.6).
On Aug. 1, Las Vegas saw 115, its hottest day of the year. And the month was dominated by several heat warnings, the last one expiring in the month’s final days.
Also, July was the third warmest on record, with an average temperature of 96.6.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.
