March coming in like a lamb to Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 | 5:10 a.m.

The first day of March isn't roaring in like a lion, at least for Las Vegas — sunny skies and near-normal temperatures will continue today.

But the old weather folklore saying might apply for Wednesday. A Pacific storm complex will move into the southern Sierra north of the Las Vegas Valley on Wednesday, then across central Nevada Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Most of the precipitation from that storm will remain over the western Sierra slopes, the weather service said.

However, Las Vegas will get a few clouds from the storm, forecasters said, with light showers to the east of the valley.

Also, temperatures will climb to the low 70s both Wednesday and Thursday the valley, they said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 41 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 44 degrees. The record low was 2 degrees, set in 1962.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 42 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 42 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 36 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 51 degrees by 9 a.m., to 63 degrees by noon and reach a high of 66 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 66 degrees and the record high was 82 degrees, set in 1986.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 61 degrees by 6 p.m., to 57 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 53 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Wednesday's morning low will be 47 degrees and Wednesday's high will climb to 71 degrees, they said.