Mother’s Day turns windy in Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Published Sunday, May 9, 2010 | 6:27 a.m.

Updated Sunday, May 9, 2010 | 4:10 p.m.

Mother's Day in Las Vegas is sunny, with highs in the low 80s, but gusty winds have been moving in and could kick up some dust clouds.

Just before 4 p.m., winds at McCarran International Airport were from the south-southwest at 31 mph and gusting at 47 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Around the valley just before 4 p.m., winds were gusting 41 mph at North Las Vegas Airport, 44 mph at Nellis Air Force Base and 42 mph at Red Rock Canyon. Winds were steady from the west-southwest at 31 mph at Henderson Executive Airport, where gusts of 46 mph had been recorded just before 2 p.m.

Area constructions site operators are being contacted today by the Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management to take precautions to prevent blowing dust.

Although unhealthy levels of dust aren't occuring, county DAQEM offices say they will continue to monitor the situation and issue an alert on their website if unhealthy levels of dust do arise.

The weather service has issued a wind advisory until midnight tonight for the southern Great Basin and much of the Mojave Desert. Locations include Las Vegas, Lake Mead National Recreation area, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Nellis Air Force Base, Summerlin, Mountains Edge, Seven Hills and Blue Diamond, Laughlin, Primm and Searchlight

Winds will be from the southwest to west gusting 45 to 55 mph in the deserts, with higher gusts possible in the mountains, forecasters said.

The high winds will make driving difficult, especially for large vehicles like campers and recreation vehicles, because of gusty crosswinds and areas of blowing dust, forecasters said.

Boaters should use extreme caution if venturing onto area lakes, forecasters said. The high winds will make open waters of lakes roungh and hazardous, possibly resulting in high waves that could tip or swamp smaller craft, they said. They recommended avoiding open waters or staying close to shor or around protected areas.

The high winds are being brought by a storm system that will pass through the area this evening that could also bring showers and thunderstorms.

Forecasters said it will continue to be breezy to windy at times on Monday and Tuesday as another storm system passes through. Wind gusts would exceed 40 mph on those days, they said.

Around the valley just before 4 p.m., temperatures were 79 degrees at McCarran and at North Las Vegas Airport, 80 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 78 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley reached a high around 80 degrees today. The normal high for today's date is 85 degrees and the record high was 100 degrees, set in 2001.

Temperatures are expected to fall to 82 degrees by 6 p.m., to 75 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 69 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Monday's morning low will be 60 degrees and Monday's high will climb to 78 degrees, they said.

At 5:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 66 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 61 degrees. The record low was 42 degrees, set in 1938.