Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003 | 4:05 a.m.
Nevada basked in beach weather Friday, setting records not only for the last day of January, but for the entire month.
Las Vegas warmed to 75 - matching the day's high in Tampa, Fla. - and beating its Jan. 31 record set in 1971 by a degree.
Reno also managed to outshine the Sunshine State with a high of 71 - 12 degrees warmer than Jacksonville, Fla. Reno's previous January high was 70 in 1967. Its Jan. 31 mark was 67 in 1965.
The city achieved its warmest January ever, averaging 42.6 degrees, compared to 40.3 degrees in 1986 and 1953.
Battle Mountain's 70 eclipsed 62 set in 1995 and the January mark of 67 in 1977. Elko also was a double winner with a 65, beating the date's 58 in 1971 and the month's 64 in 1990.
Ely's 63 bested its Jan. 31 high of 57 in 1992 and Winnemucca surpassed 1971's high for the date of 62. Both cities were just 1 degree shy of their January records.
Tonopah hit 62 in 1971 and beat it by 3 degrees on Friday. Austin's 65 was 6 degrees above its 1971 record for the date.
Temperatures were expected to return to springlike over the weekend and conditions to wintery with highs falling about 15 degrees and a chance of snow in the higher elevations of northern Nevada and the Sierra.
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