Triple-digit temperatures heading this week to Las Vegas Valley

By Dave Toplikar

Monday, May 14, 2012 | 4:31 a.m.

It might be a good week to stock up on the ice and the sunscreen — sunny skies and hundred-degree heat is heading to the Las Vegas Valley this week, according to the National Weather Service.

Afternoon highs today are expected to range from around 92 degrees on the west side of the valley to around 101 on the east side, the weather service said.

Northeast winds will be under 10 mph, shifting to the east around 10 mph in the afternoon.

A weak low pressure system will move across northern Nevada by late Tuesday, resulting in local gusty winds today and Tuesday afternoon, the weather service said.

Breezy conditions will continue through Thursday across the area, with temperatures climbing well above normal through the end of the work week, forecasters said.

The stretch of triple-digit heat — the longest so far this year — will linger in the valley through Thursday, forecasters said.

Highs on the east side of the valley are expected to be around 102 degrees on Tuesday, 101 on Wednesday, and 100 on Thursday, they said.

This morning’s low at McCarran International Airport was expected to be 72 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 65 degrees. The record low was 45 degrees, set in 1998.

Temperatures at McCarran were to rise today to 83 degrees by 9 a.m., to 93 degrees by noon and reach a high of 99 degrees by 4 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 88 degrees and the record high was 106 degrees, set in 1937.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 98 degrees by 6 p.m., to 90 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 83 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Tuesday's morning low will be 73 degrees and Tuesday's high will climb to 99 degrees, they said.