Las Vegas sees Friday freeze on coldest day of 2010

By Tim Richardson

Friday, Nov. 26, 2010 | 9:38 a.m.

Thousands of Black Friday shoppers waiting for bargains braved more than long lines.

This morning also had the distinction of being the coldest day of 2010, the National Weather Service said.

The mercury tumbled to 30 degrees at McCarran International Airport, while outlying areas saw temperatures plummet into the 20s. Henderson Executive Airport dipped to 24 degrees, Nellis Air Force Base fell to 25 and North Las Vegas Airport dropped to 27.

Chilly temperatures shouldn't have been much of a surprise to shoppers.

"Today was pretty much what we were expecting," weather service meteorologist Jim Harrison said.

The last time the temperature dipped to 30 degrees at McCarran, the city's official weather station, was Dec. 10, 2009.

A freeze warning was posted until 10 a.m. today as much of the valley dropped below freezing for a second consecutive morning. Temperatures didn't approach record territory: The lowest temperature recorded on Nov. 26 is 24 degrees, set in 1944, according to weather service records.

The high this afternoon in Las Vegas is expected to reach 50 degrees, forecasters said.

Slightly warmer weather is on tap for the weekend with highs in the mid-50s Saturday and Sunday, but another weather system will bring a second round of chilly weather on Monday.

"It's going to drop off again," Harrison said of Las Vegas temperatures. "There's a storm coming in that's going to move through Nevada Saturday night and into Sunday. Monday's not going to be very warm. We're talking about highs on Monday being back in the upper 40s after being in the mid-50s Saturday and Sunday."

Temperatures will stay below average until the end of next week, when highs will rebound back to about 60 degrees.

The average high on today's date at McCarran is 62 degrees, with an average low of 40, according to weather service records.