Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

At 110 degrees, summer sizzles with record heat in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Valley residents beat the heat

Amanda Finnegan

Aiden Bernardo, 4, stops to enjoy one of the fountains at the Paseo Vista Park in Henderson Sunday afternoon.

Escaping the heat

In this June 2010 photo, parents and children enjoy the splash pad at Paseo Vista Park in Henderson. Launch slideshow »

With temperatures at record levels Sunday, Las Vegas Valley residents tried to stay cool while keeping kids occupied at parks and pools.

At 110 degrees, that’s not always an easy task.

McCarran International Airport hit 110 degrees at 3:10 p.m. Sunday, setting a record for June 6, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was 108 degrees, set in 2002.

This is also the earliest date on record Las Vegas has reached the 110-degree mark.

Before Sunday, the earliest day of the year Las Vegas reached at least 110 degrees was June 8, 1955, weather service meteorologist Chris Stachelski said.

Forecasters issued an excessive heat warning for most of Clark County and the surrounding region through 8 p.m. Monday, but the summer warmth didn’t stop residents from enjoying the outdoors.

At the Paseo Vista Park at Paseo Verde and St. Rose parkways in Henderson, moms and dads braved the heat on the sidelines as their little ones played on the park’s splash pad. The park is one of eight in Henderson with the splash pad feature.

“It’s a really great way to get them out of the house and burn off some energy,” Henderson resident Sarah Bernardo said as she watched her 4-year-old son Aiden stomp on the fountains.

Tiffany Manley, also of Henderson, found a spot under a tree as her 3-year-old daughter Tatum made friends with other children in the fountains.

“The kids really don’t seem to mind the heat,” Manley said. “It’s the parents who really mind it.”

Manley said when the Las Vegas heat really kicks into high gear, her family heads to the coast to spend July and August at the beach.

“It’s really the best way to escape the heat,” she said.

For Omari Jackson and his two daughters Michelle, 9, and Makaylah, 10, this was their first taste of the summer heat in Southern Nevada. The family moved from Missouri to Henderson three weeks ago.

“Everyone told us that you can’t sit in the air conditioning all day. You have to go out and get used to the heat,” Jackson said. “In Missouri, it’s much more of a humid heat. This is a dry heat, but it’s still really hot.”

Jackson also found a spot in the shade while his two daughters weaved in and out of the gushing fountains. When asked if she was having a good time, a soaked Makaylah shook her head with a smile as beads of water fell off her brow.

One family made the splash pad an added feature for a pirate-themed birthday party. A performer dressed as Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean” helped children “walk the plank” through the fountains.

Click to enlarge photo

A lifeguard watches swimmers at the Paradise Park and Community Center Sunday afternoon, June 6, 2010. Las Vegas Valley residents used the park's water features to escape the triple-digit temperatures.

At the Paradise Park and Community center at Tropicana Avenue and McLeod Drive, residents took advantage of the park’s water slide, wading pool and picnic area.

Linda Mariano, a Boston resident who is in town visiting family, brought her granddaughter to Paradise Park to enjoy the water features.

“She is just starting learning how to swim, so this is great for her,” Mariano said.

“I can kick!” 2-year-old Maya Rouellette said proudly as she splashed in the shallow end of the pool.

Even adults were enjoying the water park’s amenities. Annette Diko laid at the edge of the lap pool to dry off and soak up some sun.

“I don’t have a pool at my house, so it’s nice to be able to walk across the street and use this pool,” she said.

Triple-digit heat will stick around through the middle of the week.

The high Monday is expected to reach 108 degrees; Tuesday is likely to hit 106 degrees, and Wednesday will top out at 101 degrees, the weather service said. Thursday’s high will hit about 96 degrees.

Weather service records indicate the average high temperature for June 6 in Las Vegas is 96 degrees.

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