Temperatures to hit 70 in Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Published Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011 | 5:34 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011 | 12:13 p.m.

Grab some sunglasses and take the party outdoors.

While much of the rest of the country is shivering for Super Bowl weekend, skies will be sunny and temperatures are expected to soar to 70 degrees today in Las Vegas.

Near- to above-normal temperatures will continue through Sunday as a ridge of high pressure remains off the California coast, according to the National Weather Service.

Today's afternoon highs will reach 70 degrees in Las Vegas, 67 in Boulder City, 71 at Lake Mead, 49 at Mount Charleston, 68 in Pahrump and 71 in Bullhead City.

The next weather system will affect the region early next week, resulting in another round of gusty north winds, cooler temperatures and a slight chance of showers primarily over the mountains of eastern Nevada and northwest Arizona, the weather service said.

Around the valley just before noon, temperatures were 63 degrees at McCarran International Airport, 66 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 64 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 63 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to reach a high of 70 degrees by 2 p.m., forecasters said.

The normal high for today's date is 61 degrees and the record high was 78 degrees, set in 1947.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 63 degrees by 6 p.m., to 55 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 51 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 47 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 40 degrees. The record low was 18 degrees, set in 1939.

Sunday's morning low will be 48 degrees and Sunday's high will climb to 69 degrees, they said.