Awaiting spring: Valley enjoys lull between cold and heat

Mathis Winkler

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.

Warming up to the weather?

With winter nearly over and sizzling, three-digit summer heat weeks away, Las Vegas Valley residents are in for some balmy days. And they're making the most of it.

"This is the best time of the year," said Amanda Welsh, 12, a seventh grader at Silvestri Middle School in southeast Las Vegas. "It's better than summer."

The current winds may cause her allergies to act up, but at least it's pleasant enough to hang out with friends outdoors, she said.

Once it gets hot, she pretty much sticks to the swimming pool. But even there, it can get uncomfortable, she said.

"Sometimes it's so hot, it feels like you're swimming in a bathtub," she said.

One week away from the official start of spring, it is still relatively cool and will stay that way at least for a while, Jim Harrison, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said.

In fact, high temperatures are expected to fall to about 60 and remain steady for several days.

"We're expecting a weather system to move through the area tomorrow," Harrison said Tuesday.

The system should bring with it high winds this afternoon and evening, with winds expected between 30 to 40 miles per hour and gusts as high as 60 mph. The National Weather Service issued a high-wind advisory for today.

Recent highs of about 70 were slightly above the normal 68 this time of year, Harrison said.

The warmth makes it show time for gardeners, said Margie Klein, who coordinates the University of Nevada, Reno, cooperative extension master gardener program in Las Vegas.

"This is a wonderful time to get busy," she said, adding that cool season flowers, bushes and perennials can be planted.

But hold off on the tomatoes.

Although it's usually safe to plant them by mid-March, Klein suggests waiting until early April to ensure any chance of a freeze has passed.

"The soil temperature's still 50 degrees," she said.

Outdoor workers also welcomed the moderate temperatures.

"Right now it's perfect. We like it like this," said Ron Gonzales, who works as a roofing specialist at a construction site in Green Valley.

Bill Reynolds, a superintendent at the construction site, said the nice weather has a positive effect on his men.

"There's longer fuses right now," he said. "They're not as edgy. It's sort of a weird calm before the storm."

But for some, that storm can't arrive soon enough.

"I love the heat," said Daniel Diaz, who was watching his four children play at Silverado Ranch Park. "The hotter, the better. Once you get used to it, it's fine."