Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
The tail of the Arctic Express is whipping through Las Vegas this week, lowering morning temperatures to the mid-20s.
The 27-degree low recorded this morning tied for the second coldest day of the year, but was 5 degrees off the record set in 1945 for Dec. 18. It was the coldest day of the young winter season, tying the mark set Jan. 26 and one degree off the coldest day this year recorded on Feb. 27.
The temperatures tonight, Thursday and Friday are expected to dip several degrees below freezing, bringing back memories of the pre-Christmas cold snap of 1990 that shattered record lows and hampered car engines from turning over.
"In late December 1990, low temperatures were in the teens, but we're expecting mid-20s Thursday and Friday mornings," said National Weather Service meteorologist Ron McQueen, noting that daytime temperatures this week will be in the upper 40s, several degrees warmer than in late 1990.
The 24-degree low predicted for Thursday morning is 2 degrees warmer than the record set in 1945 for Dec. 19, officials said.
On Monday, weather officials were tracking a cold front from northern Canada that was expected to drop pre-dawn temperatures closer to 20 degrees. But that front veered Tuesday, pushing the much colder temperatures away from Southern Nevada and toward northern Arizona and southern Utah.
"Yesterday, it looked very abnormal, but today (Tuesday) it seems like we will be getting weather that is typical for December and January," McQueen said.
Forecasters call the phenomenon the Arctic Express. Traditionally, Las Vegas gets just the fringe of it, with the brunt of the cold front doing most of its icy work on the Rocky Mountain states before ever reaching Southern Nevada.
Football fans from Ball State (Muncie, Ind.) and the University of Nevada, Reno should feel right at home Thursday night at Sam Boyd Stadium when temperatures start to dip by the 6 p.m. kickoff of the Las Vegas Bowl.
Although Las Vegas is noted for its mild winters, Southern Nevada has had some noteworthy winter cold spells during the 20th century.
In 1990, a five-day cold spell, ending Christmas Eve, resulted in several morning temperatures in the teens, including an 11-degree reading on Dec. 23 -- the coldest December day ever in Las Vegas.
During a cold outbreak in early 1985, a record low daytime maximum high of 35 degrees shattered by seven degrees a daily record that was set on Feb. 2, 1942.
The all-time worst cold spell locally was Jan. 20-28, 1937. During that period, lows of about 15 degrees were recorded in the desert community. On Jan. 25, the mercury dipped to 8 degrees -- the coldest day ever in Las Vegas.
And while this week's cold spell is expected to be a short one, weather officials currently are tracking another cold system from Alaska that could give Las Vegans and visitors a "blue" Christmas.
"While there is some uncertainty at this time, we very well could have another downturn on temperatures for Christmas Eve and Christmas," McQueen said. "As for this weekend, it should be mild like last weekend."
Weather officials noted that harsh temperatures can do significant damage to home plumbing systems, above-ground water sprinkler system pipes and some species of plants and animals.
Exposed pipes should be wrapped in insulation. Cars should be kept under carports and in garages. Sensitive plants can be wrapped in sheets. Accommodations should be made for animals who normally sleep outdoors at night.
McQueen recommends that people who work outside at night dress accordingly and that the homeless try to seek at least temporary shelter to avoid the risk of hypothermia.
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