Sunny, but cool for Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 | 6:19 a.m.

Grab a jacket — skies will be sunny today, but highs will climb into only the upper 50s this afternoon in Las Vegas.

However, a slight warming trend will move in Tuesday, sending afternoon temperatures climbing into the low 60s through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Then winds will begin to increase Thursday and Friday ahead of the next storm, which will dive out of western Canada. That storm will bring another round of winter weather to the region for the weekend, including a chance for rain in the valley, the weather service said.

At 5:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 38 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 43 degrees. The record low was 20 degrees, set in 1953.

Around the valley just before 6 a.m., temperatures were 37 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 34 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 33 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 45 degrees by 9 a.m., to 55 degrees by noon and reach a high of 59 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 65 degrees and the record high was 77 degrees, set in 1961 and 1948.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 54 degrees by 6 p.m., to 49 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 46 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Wednesday's morning low will be 41 degrees and Wednesday's high will climb to 62 degrees, they said.