How hot is it? Las Vegas on track for hottest year ever
The heat records just keep on coming in the summer of 2024.
To probably nobody’s surprise, Las Vegas is on track to have its warmest year in recorded weather history.
The brutal summer has killed 123 people this year, according to the most recent numbers released last week by the Clark County coroner’s office.
June and July set records by several degrees as the highest average daily temperature. August is on track to do the same, according to the National Weather Service.
“It will probably be our hottest year on record unless we have a really cool fall,” meteorologist Barry Pierce said.
The number of days at 105 or above this year at Harry Reid International Airport is 68 (as of Aug. 19), shattering the 1940 record of 61 days.
Days of 110 or higher is at 35, again surpassing the 1940 record of 29 days.
There have been 78 days of 100 or higher (through Aug. 19). The 1994 record is 81 days.
Because of a cool winter and spring, the average daily temperature (this year through Aug. 18) currently ranks third in history at 73.9. The 2018 record for the same time period is 74.2 in 2018 and 2017 ranks second at 74.1.
A warm fall will probably push up the average daily temperature, perhaps to make it the hottest year ever.
July heat records
Only a tenth of a degree kept the Las Vegas airport from reaching 100.0 for its average July temperature.
The hottest month ever finished at 99.9, well ahead of the record set just last year at 97.3.
Among other reminders of how hot July was:
— Highest temperature ever recorded at Harry Reid International Airport: 120 on July 7.
— Seven consecutive days with a high of 115 or higher.
— 41 days with highs of 105 or higher (dates into June).
— 11 consecutive days with a high of 110 or more. The previous record was 10 set July last year.
— 7 days of new consecutive daily record highs: (July 6 at 115; July 7 at 120, July 8 at 115, July 9 at 119, July 10 at 119, July 11 at 118 and July 12 at 115).
— 13 days during the month with a morning low at 90 or higher, topping last July’s previous record of eight days.
Every day in July had a morning low of 80 or higher. There were 23 such days in June and all 18 in August to date.
August above average so far
Although high temperatures have not been at the July plateau, this month is on track to be the hottest August in history at the airport.
The average temperature through Aug. 18 is 97.9 degrees. The full month record is 95.6, set in 2020.
“We’re running a good 2.3 degrees above the record right now,” Pierce said.
On five of those 18 days, the morning low as been 90 degrees or higher.
‘Cooler weekend’
Cooler air this weekend — a Saturday high near 95 and a 98 expected on Sunday — will likely be welcome by residents and tourists.
However, a return to the low 100s is expected starting Monday.
A trough moving toward the Great Basin will “keep things near normal August 25-29,” Pierce said.
The Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 forecast for the region issued by the Climate Predication Center shows a 55 to 60 percent chance of temperatures being above normal in the valley.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.
