Las Vegas Valley hits record high temperature for 2019

Even as the Las Vegas Valley experienced its hottest day yet this year on Monday, tourists on Fremont Street braved the heat, armed with drinks and hand-held fans.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning in the valley for Monday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., which was officially declared the hottest day of 2019 by midafternoon. The weather service’s recording station at McCarran International Airport registered 112 degrees at 2:47 p.m., topping this year’s previous high of 111 on July 13.

“It’s stifling,” said Charmaine Fay of Sydney, Australia, who is in Las Vegas on a business trip. “It’s winter at home, so it feels extra hot here.”

Fay was part of a crowd under the Fremont Street Experience as the heat was reaching its peak Monday afternoon. Some pedestrians used fans and spritzed themselves with water to cool down.

Cooling stations across Southern Nevada were open Monday in addition to several summer day shelters that will operate until Sept. 30.

Performers were still singing and banging on bucket drums under the shaded area of the street to a few onlookers, and a street magician attracted a small gathering.

Street vendor Katona Serena of Las Vegas, who was selling shirts and hats, used a cool rag to combat the heat, but it was unavoidable, she said.

Visiting from Fremont, California, Liz Medina said extreme heat wasn’t preventing her family from enjoying their time exploring the city.

“We just love Las Vegas, so we’ll take it any way we can get it,” she said.

The National Weather Service is reminding the public to hydrate often, limit time outdoors and to check on others to make sure they are safe.

“It’s going to be another rough one for people outside,” meteorologist Alex Boothe said.

Heat aside, conditions should be calm and dry Monday, although gusts could reach up to 20 mph in the afternoon.

The high will drop to 107 on Tuesday as moisture and clouds move into the valley in the evening, bringing a 20 percent chance for rain or thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday, the weather service said.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for the high to drop to 97, paired with mostly cloudy skies. Highs on Thursday and Friday are expected to rebound to 100 and 102, respectively. Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high of 105 and an overnight low of 83 degrees.

Energy demand

While Monday was the hottest day of the year, NV Energy has “not come close to exceeding” its record for peak energy demand in Southern Nevada, according to spokeswoman Andrea Smith.

Smith estimated estimated the utility’s peak load was about 5,600 megawatts on Monday, compared with a peak load of more than 6,100 megawatts in summer 2016.

Residential customers pay an average of $143 for about 1,140 kilowatt hours per month, Smith said. The spike in summer energy bills is “primarily driven by air conditioning use,” she said.

Contact Amanda Bradford at abradford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279. Follow @amandabrad_uc on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writers Mike Shoro and Bailey Schulz contributed to this report.