Cooler, but not as windy today in Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Published Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | 6:26 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | 11:15 a.m.

Although skies cleared this morning over southern Nevada, clouds are expected to move back in, bringing the possibility of some showers over the Spring Mountains this afternoon through early evening, according to the National Weather Service.

The Las Vegas area got some light showers overnight, with a trace of rain recorded at McCarran International Airport. Nellis Air Force Base recorded .03 of an inch of rain overnight and Henderson Executive Airport recorded a trace.

Temperatures will climb into only the upper 60s today and winds will be from the west to northwest about 15 to 25 mph with gusts around 30 mph through early this evening, forecasters said.

Just before 11 a.m., winds were gusting at 38 mph at Nellis, 36 mph at North Las Vegas Airport, 35 mph at Red Rock Canyon and 22 mph at McCarran.

Gusty southwest to west winds developed Monday afternoon and evening across the region ahead of the storm that moved across this morning, the weather service said. Here are some of the highest gusts recorded Monday afternoon through early Tuesday morning: Red Rock Canyon, 68 mph; Henderson Executive Airport, 61 mph; Nellis, 61 mph; Mountain Springs, 57 mph; Cheyenne and Grand Canyon, 55 mph; Indian Springs, 55 mph; McCarran, 55 mph, and North Las Vegas Airport, 51 mph.

Cooler-than-normal temperatures will persist through Thursday as an area of low pressure lingers over the Great Basin, the weather service said.

However, warmer weather is on tap over the weekend as high pressure builds over the west, forecasters said. Temperatures will climb into the low 80s Saturday and into the upper 80s Sunday, forecasters said.

Around the valley just before 11 a.m., temperatures were 61 degrees at McCarran, 60 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 61 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 59 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 66 degrees by noon and reach a high of 69 degrees by 4 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 86 degrees and the record high was 103 degrees, set in 1960.

Temperatures are expected to be 69 degrees by 6 p.m., then drop to 64 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 61 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Wednesday's morning low will be 56 degrees and Wednesday's high will climb to 77 degrees, they said.

At 5:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran was 51 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 61 degrees and the record low was 47 degrees, set in 1938.