Wildfire haze, smoke to foul Las Vegas skies early this week

Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 years ago

The sun shines through smoke and haze over the north end of the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas on ... — The sun shines through smoke and haze over the north end of the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

In this Sept. 19, 2021, file photo firefighter Austin Cia sprays water as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest, Calif. Smoke from California wildfires will foul the Las Vegas sky early this week, moving in Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Smoke and haze from California wildfires will be in the Las Vegas sky through at least Tuesday, according to the latest National Weather Service forecast.

“It will begin to creep in from the west around early Monday afternoon,” said meteorologist Dan Berc. “Monday will be the worst of it and on Tuesday there will be some smoke lingering around, but not as bad as Monday night.”

Ozone and small particle pollution will likely be rated unhealthy for sensitive groups, says the latest Clark County air quality forecast. People who are sensitive to pollution should avoid or limit outdoor exposure.

A cold front coming from the north is expected to flush out much of the pollution Tuesday and Wednesday. Gusty winds on Tuesday could reach 30 mph as the front moves in.

“The cold front is slowing down, so it may not push through until Wednesday,” Berc said.

The cold front will drop the high temperature to the lower 80s, likely by Wednesday. The normal high this time of year is 91, and the high Sunday was 94 at McCarran International Airport.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.