No freedom from heat for holiday weekend
We might be celebrating our nation’s independence this weekend, but we won’t be free from the possibly record-breaking heat before a slight cooldown begins Sunday.
The thermometer hit 109 degrees Friday afternoon, making it 21 consecutive days the Las Vegas Valley has seen temperatures being at or above 105 degrees, said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Stachelski. This tied an all-time record set over 15 years ago.
It’s likely the record will be broken in time for the fireworks Saturday, when temperatures could reach 107 degrees, marking a record of 22 straight days of above 105-degree weather, Stachelski said.
The streak might end on Sunday when the forecast high is 104 degrees, Stachelski said.
It will be a close call that it “might happen or not,” Stachelski said. But beyond that it’s questionable, considering temperatures are expected to slightly drop after Sunday.
Storms in the Spring Mountains “fizzled out” earlier Friday, Stachelski said. And though not too likely, storms in higher elevations later in the evening are not out of the question.
Storms surrounding Las Vegas, in Lincoln and Mohave counties, shouldn’t reach the valley, Stachelski said.
Saturday’s chance for rain is a slim 10 percent, meteorologist Chad Shafer said, so it’s pretty unlikely that the valley will actually see any precipitation.
The temperature was 107 degrees at McCarran International Airport, the Weather Service’s official monitoring site, about 3:30 p.m., Stachelski said.
Review-Journal writer Ricardo Torres contributed to this report. Contact Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraTaloma.