Warmer weather moving into Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | 5:39 a.m.

It looks like a good day to head to the pool in Las Vegas.

Warmer weather is moving into the area, with afternoon highs in the upper 80s today and the lower 90s Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

A weak ridge of high pressure is moving over the region today, allowing the temperatures to climb slightly above normal on Thursday, the weather service said.

Then a large Pacific storm will drop out of the Gulf of Alaska and into the western states, bringing another round of windy and cooler weather for the weekend, forecasters said.

Friday afternoon and evening will bring widespread southwest winds, likely gusting over 40 mph across much of the southern half of the region, forecasters said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 64 degrees, which is the normal low for today's date. The record low was 47 degrees, set in 1974.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 66 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 62 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 60 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 73 degrees by 9 a.m., to 81 degrees by noon and reach a high of 87 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 89 degrees and the record high was 108 degrees, set in 2008.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 86 degrees by 6 p.m., to 80 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 75 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Thursday's morning low will be 70 degrees and Thursday's high will climb to 94 degrees, they said.