Highs to hit low 70s in Las Vegas Valley

By Dave Toplikar

Monday, Feb. 7, 2011 | 5:33 a.m.

Mostly sunny skies and temperatures climbing into the low 70s will warm the Las Vegas Valley again today, according to the National Weather Service.

A ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific Ocean is bringing the above-normal temperatures to the region, the weather service said.

But gusty north winds and cooler temperatures are moving in tonight and Tuesday, forecasters said.

The cold front is expected to hit Las Vegas around 4 a.m. Tuesday, then reach the rest of the region by mid morning, forecasters said. Winds are expected to be strongest down the Colorado River Valley, they said.

There is also a chance of showers primarily over the mountains of eastern Nevada and northwest Arizona, forecasters said.

The region will remain cool, but dry, on Wednesday as the area remains under a northerly flow, they said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 45 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 40 degrees. The record low was 16 degrees, set in 1989.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 43 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 41 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 43 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 54 degrees by 9 a.m., to 65 degrees by noon and reach a high of 72 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 61 degrees and the record high was 77 degrees, set in 1963.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 67 degrees by 6 p.m., to 58 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 55 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Tuesday's morning low will be 50 degrees and Tuesday's high will climb to 62 degrees, they said.