Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Weather:

For Las Vegas, it’s a record-setting, windy day

Windy Weather

Steve Marcus

Pedestrians on Sahara Ave. and Las Vegas Blvd bear the windy weather as they cross the street Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014.

Updated Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014 | 3:28 p.m.

Windy Weather

Elvis impersonator Michael Romeo tries to control his cape  in the wind while working on the Strip Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. Romeo worked on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles for 12 years before moving to the Las Vegas Strip two years ago. Launch slideshow »

Winds blowing this morning into the Las Vegas Valley had a hitchhiker: record warm air.

During a 40-minute period today, starting just before 9 a.m., the temperature at the National Weather Service’s official Las Vegas recording station at McCarran International Airport rose from 57 to 70 degrees, according to meteorologist Chris Outler. By 10:30 a.m. the temperature at McCarran was 73, breaking a 43-year-old record high for the date by 1 degree.

Before the day is done, it’s possible Las Vegas could experience its warmest January day on record, Outler said. The current record high for January in Las Vegas is 77, set on Jan. 26, 1975.

Conditions have prompted forecasters to issue a high-wind warning in effect until 8 p.m. for the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon. Forecasters predict southwesterly winds could blow at speeds as high as 70 mph, with the strongest winds coming during the daylight hours.

The Las Vegas Valley, meanwhile, is under a wind advisory until 8 p.m. Forecasters say wind gusts could reach 50 mph before tapering off tonight.

The wind this afternoon caused more than 1,000 NV Energy customers to be without power near Lake Mead Boulevard and Tenaya Way. The power outages began about 1:30 p.m. and affect more than 1,400 total customers throughout the valley, NV Energy officials said.

Outler said today would be the last day in a stretch of unseasonably warm temperatures. A cold front is expected to move through the area tonight. A high of 58 is forecast for Friday in Las Vegas, with highs in the 50s continuing into next week.

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