Cooler temperatures move into Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Friday, May 18, 2012 | 5 a.m.

Get set for a great weekend to celebrate Las Vegas' cowboy-themed Helldorado Days and for viewing the solar eclipse: clear skies and cooler temperatures are on the way to the region.

After two days of triple-digit heat — the official high was 101 Thursday — temperatures level off to seasonal normals today, according to the National Weather Service.

Highs in the Las Vegas Valley will range from around 83 degrees on the west side of the valley to around 92 degrees on the east side, the weather service said.

Winds will be from the west at 10 to 15 mph, with gusts to around 30 mph, forecasters said.

Although a slight chance of thunderstorms will be seen today over the northern mountains, generally dry conditions will prevail elsewhere, they said.

“It’ll be absolutely perfect not only for Helldorado this weekend, but also for eclipse viewing on Sunday," said Kevin Janison, 6News meteorologist.

Clear skies are expected for Sunday’s solar eclipse which can be seen fully at 6:33 p.m. north of Las Vegas, Janison said.

However, warmer conditions will return early next week, with Monday’s high climbing back into the 100s again, he said.

This morning’s low at McCarran was expected to be 73 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 67 degrees. The record low was 45 degrees, set in 1977 and 1938.

Temperatures at McCarran were to rise today to 80 degrees by 9 a.m., to 86 degrees by noon and reach a high of 90 degrees by 4 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 90 degrees and the record high was 104 degrees, set in 2008.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 89 degrees by 6 p.m., to 84 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 78 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Saturday's morning low will be 70 degrees and Saturday's high will climb to 92 degrees, they said.