Gusty winds whip Las Vegas; cooler temperatures prevail
The effects of a cold front that brought strong winds and a sharp drop in temperatures to the Las Vegas Valley on Tuesday are set to linger for a few more days.
The National Weather Service said gusts up to 61 mph hit Nellis Air Force Base, while other parts of the valley felt winds up to 55 mph.
Tuesday’s high temperature of 90 degrees was reached before sunrise, at 4:34 a.m., meteorologist Kate Guillet said. The afternoon temperature only rose to 83.
Guillet said the high would drop to 81 on Wednesday before climbing to 87 on Thursday, 95 on Friday, 99 on Saturday and 101 on Sunday. Tuesday’s overnight low was expected to drop to about 65 with gusts up to 28 mph.
The wind didn’t deter Las Vegas resident and avid golfer Rob Clark from playing at Bali Hai Golf Club on the Strip. He said he prefers adverse weather for the challenge and because there are fewer people on the course.
“It’s part of the game; gotta play with Mother Nature,” he said. “That’s what makes the game hard. It’s always changing — consistently inconsistent.”
The winds from the north pushed much of the California wildfire smoke out of the hazy Las Vegas sky and even toppled a street light on Peccole Strada, near Fort Apache Road and Charleston Boulevard.
But the weather service warned that windy conditions this week could bring in smoke from fires burning in Utah and Colorado.
A high-wind warning that was in effect Tuesday for Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Colorado River Valley — where winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph were forecast — will revert to an advisory Wednesday with northerly winds of 20 to 30 mph expected.
It's been bone-dry here in the Desert Southwest. 🌵😖
If you combine dry conditions with windy conditions, the result is HIGH fire danger. ⚠️🔥
The Red Flag Warning is to bring awareness to the high potential for wildfire starts Tuesday. Heed all fire restrictions!
(4/x) pic.twitter.com/7c1tAVktsF— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) September 8, 2020
Outdoor activities canceled
Some outdoor activities in the valley were canceled because of air quality issues.
Life Time sent out a notice to members just after noon announcing that the outdoor courts would be closed for the rest of the day.
The Boulder City-Henderson Swim Team canceled its Tuesday practice as well, citing “hazardous air quality levels.”
Power outages and road danger
Thousands of NV Energy customers faced power outages early in the day, but the number had dropped to 314 by 6:20 p.m. Most of the affected customers were in the central valley, near Valley View Boulevard and Alta Drive.
Las Vegas police reported an uprooted tree had fallen onto a power line along Wynn Road. Various other road hazards, including debris in the road, were reported as strong gusts swept across Southern Nevada throughout the morning.
Red flag warning
A warning about increased fire dangers covers most of the region until 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Strong northerly winds will increase as the cold front sweeps south through the region, especially late Tuesday morning into the afternoon. Widespread winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph and localized gusts to 50 mph are possible. Humidity levels of 6 to 12 percent and dry conditions will mean any fires that begin will probably spread rapidly.
Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter. Review-Journal intern Jannelle Calderon contributed to this report.
