Temperature records fall across Nevada

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003 | 7:24 a.m.

Halloween is looming on the calendar, but it's hard to tell by looking at the thermometer.

Record highs were set across northern Nevada on Monday and more apparently are on the way.

Wells sizzled at 88 degrees. That not only was a record for the date - by 13 degrees - but the hottest it's ever been there in October. The previous October high was 86 set just two weeks earlier. The Oct. 20 record was 75, reached in 1992.

Reno topped out at 85 on Monday, 2 degrees above the 1964 mark and 17 degrees above average.

Other records on Monday were 85 in Battle Mountain and 80 in Ely and Tonopah. Those compared with Battle Mountain's 82 in 1947, 75 in Ely in 1992 and Tonopah's 78 in 1995.

McDermitt climbed to 79, breaking its record of 75 set in 1985.

Winnemucca tied its 1927 record at 83 and Austin also had a tie at 82, which it last reached that same year. Elko's 81 missed the 1921 mark by 1 degree.

The only record in southern Nevada was 91 at Desert Rock, topping the 86 reached in 1988, but a few nearby cities in Arizona topped the century mark. Bullhead City reached 100 and Lake Havasu City, 101. The previous marks were 97 and 99, respectively, both set in 1991.

Highs Tuesday and Wednesday were expected to range from the upper 70s to near 90 across the north and in the 90s to around 100 south.