Las Vegas, Nev., is known for casinos, live entertainment and being hot. That last one was especially true this week, since the area broke multiple heat records Thursday.
Data updated Friday by the National Weather Service showed that Las Vegas County broke records for the earliest day with a temperature over 110 degrees, the daily max temperature (111 degrees, compared to 110 degrees in 2010) and the daily warm low temperature (85 degrees compared to 83 degrees in 2019). Other counties in Nevada also broke heat records.
“The past few days have been HOT,” said the NWS Las Vegas in an X post. “In fact, this has been a record-breaking heat for a lot of places!”
An excessive heat warning was still in effect for the Las Vegas area Friday. The NWS recommended that people limit their time outside during the hottest hours of the day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It also recommended hydrating with sports drinks and water; being careful about sun protection, and wearing light colored, lightweight clothing.
While Las Vegas has been shattering heat records, it’s not the only location in the Southwest dealing with extreme heat. According to the NWS, “upper-level ridging over California and the Southwest helps spawn Excessive Heat Warnings and Advisories over parts of Central/Southern California, the Southwest, and the Great Basin.”
In an X post, the National Weather Service Los Angeles said there would be increased risk of grass fire in the Antelope Valley region of California.
Audacy reported this week that tens of millions of people in the U.S. are dealing with excessive heat pushing temperatures into record-breaking, triple-digit range even though it isn’t summer yet. This heat is enveloping the Southwest in a “heat dome” from California to Texas.