Warming into the 80s today for Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | 5:01 a.m.

If you're looking for a return to warmer weather, get outside today.

Skies will be sunny, winds will be light and temperatures will climb into the low 80s this afternoon for Las Vegas -- which is still be about 10 degrees below normal, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service said another unseasonably strong storm system over the southern Gulf of Alaska will sag south and keep temperatures across the West below normal this week.

Winds are expected to increase across the region Wednesday and Thursday, forecasters said. Then the system moves through the Great Basin Friday, followed by dry conditions and warmer temperatures in the mid to upper 80s for the holiday weekend, forecaster said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 57 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 66 degrees. The record low was 47 degrees, set in 1977 and 1965.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 54 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 56 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 51 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 68 degrees by 9 a.m., to 80 degrees by noon and reach a high of 82 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 91 degrees and the record high was 105 degrees, set in 2001 and 1951.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 80 degrees by 6 p.m., to 75 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 72 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Wednesday's morning low will be 64 degrees and Wednesday's high will climb to 81 degrees, they said.