Dusty day possible for Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Published Thursday, May 27, 2010 | 5:43 a.m.

Updated Thursday, May 27, 2010 | 9:05 a.m.

Gusty winds expected today have prompted local air quality officials to put out an advisory for blowing dust in the Las Vegas Valley.

Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management officials are advising local residents and operators of construction sites of the possibility of blowing dust this afternoon through this evening. Construction site in the valley are being notified to take precautions to prevent blowing dust, which can aggravate respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.

South to southwest winds, gusting to 25 to 35 mph, are expected today in the Las Vegas Valley as a strong Pacific storm will move into northern California today and then across the Great Basin Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Skies will be mostly sunny and temperatures will climb into the mid 80s, the weather service said.

Las Vegas will be dry on Friday, but there will be a chance of showers over northern Inyo, Esmeralda and Lincoln counties through Friday, forecasters said.

Temperatures will remain below normal, climbing to only the upper 70s Friday and the low 80s on Saturday. Then they will warm to near normal on Sunday and Monday, climbing into the low 90s, they said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, winds were gusting at 23 mph and the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 66 degrees, which is the normal low for today's date. The record low was 44 degrees, set in 1953.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 65 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 67 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 63 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 74 degrees by 9 a.m., to 83 degrees by noon and reach a high of 84 degrees by 1 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 92 degrees and the record high was 108 degrees, set in 1974.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 82 degrees by 6 p.m., to 77 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 72 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Friday's morning low will be 63 degrees and Friday's high will climb to 78 degrees, they said.