Las Vegas weather in 2023: Big July heat, above-normal rainfall

Weather forecasters deal with numbers. Lots of them.

Maybe with some calm days currently on their hands, the Las Vegas office of the National Weather Service quantified the valley’s 2023 weather with 11 months down and one to go.

In a post made Wednesday on X, the weather service noted there have been 58 days of 100 plus degrees (no more expected, of course) and 334 days of sunshine — with 31 days to go. The norm is 70 days at 100 degrees or warmer.

Here's looking back on a fantastic year of #VegasWeather 😎 pic.twitter.com/diOS09FPq2

— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) November 30, 2023

That sunshine total is more than 480,000 minutes, so a year with 500,000 minutes is easily within reach.

July 2023 was the hottest month in Las Vegas weather history, with an average daily temperature of 97.3 degrees.

Winds gusts of 40 mph or higher were recorded 42 days at Harry Reid International Airport.

Only two days — Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 — failed to see the official high not exceed freezing, 32 degrees.

The airport recorded 28 days with measurable rain and 26 days with thunder.

For the 11 months so far, the airport has received 4.53 inches of rainfall. The norm is 3.72 inches. It’s the first year that the norm has been exceeded since 2019 when 6.87 inches of rain was recorded at the airport.

Slight chance of rain

The Las Vegas Valley will have a slight chance of rain before a sunny weekend and warming temperatures next week, says the weather service.

Clouds should increase Thursday with a high near 61. Winds are expected to be light.

The rain risk, at only 10 percent, is expected to arrive after 5 a.m. Friday. The low will be around 39.

Isolated showers are possible before 11 a.m. Friday. The chance of moisture is 20 percent with an otherwise a sunny sky. The afternoon high will be near 59.

The weekend days will be sunny with morning lows close to 40 and afternoon highs near 61.

Temperatures are forecast to rise to the mid-60s starting Monday.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.