Wind advisory issued for Lake Mead area

By Dave Toplikar

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 | 5:18 a.m.

Mostly sunny skies, highs in the low 80s and gusty winds are on the way this afternoon to the Las Vegas Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

Locally gusty north winds will affect the region Wednesday and Thursday as high pressure moves in from the Pacific coast, with the strongest winds expected down the Colorado River Valley, the weather service said.

The weather service has issued a lake wind advisory from noon to 7 p.m. that includes the Colorado River Valley and includes the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Havasu, Hoover Dam south to Bullhead City and Laughlin.

North winds 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, will create dangerous boating conditions on area lakes, especially for small boats in open water, forecasters said.

Winds in the Las Vegas Valley are expected to gust up to 20 mph today, they said.

High pressure will bring very warm temperatures Thursday and Friday, with highs climbing close to 90 degrees, forecasters said.

Then a strong low pressure system will bring much cooler temperatures, strong winds and a chance for rain and mountain snow for the weekend, they said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 36 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 50 degrees. The record low was 33 degrees, set in 1987 and 1938.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 34 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 33 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 31 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 63 degrees by 9 a.m., to 73 degrees by noon and reach a high of 81 degrees by 4 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 73 degrees and the record high was 88 degrees, set in 2004 and 1971.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 80 degrees by 6 p.m., to 74 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 68 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Thursday's morning low will be 61 degrees and Thursday's high will climb to 87 degrees, they said.