Climbing into low 70s in Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Monday, April 11, 2011 | 5:04 a.m.

Warmer temperatures, climbing into the low 70s, are on the way to the Las Vegas Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

However, a series of disturbances will move across the region through the middle of the week, the weather service said.

The weather pattern will bring considerable cloudiness today and Tuesday, followed by gusty southwest winds Wednesday afternoon and evening, forecasters said.

There will also be a chance of light showers and possibly thunderstorms over central Nevada Tuesday and Wednesday, they said.

A ridge of high pressure then develops the rest of the week, with quiet weather and temperatures well above normal going into the weekend, they said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 49 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 53 degrees. The record low was 35 degrees, set in 1965.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 46 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 47 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 44 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 54 degrees by 9 a.m., to 63 degrees by noon and reach a high of 72 degrees by 4 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 77 degrees and the record high was 88 degrees, set in 2002, 1990 and 1985.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 70 degrees by 6 p.m., to 63 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 58 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Tuesday's morning low will be 54 degrees and Tuesday's high will climb to 79 degrees, they said.