More record heat across Nevada

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2003 | 1:41 a.m.

Temperature records fell for a third straight day across Nevada as summer showed no signs of surrendering to fall.

"It's possible we might break a record for the warmest October," National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Fuis said in Las Vegas.

The high at McCarran International Airport reached 92 on Wednesday, 2 degrees above a mark set in 1988.

Fuis said the average so far this month is 77.5 degrees. The record average for October is 74.9 degrees, set in 1988.

As usual, Wednesday's hottest reading were in the south. Along with the 92 at the airport, it was 93 in North Las Vegas, tying the 1959 reading. Laughlin soared past the century mark at 102. Its record was 97 in 1995. Desert Rock hit 92, 3 degrees above its 1988 high.

Reno climbed to 83, edging the old mark of 82 set at the airport in 1988 and 1942.

Winnemucca's 83 beat the record that has stood since 1927 by 4 degrees. Ely's 81 was 5 degrees above its 1954 reading and Elko warmed to 83, beating its 1921 mark by 5 degrees.

Wells, which had its warmest October reading on record Monday with 88, matched it on Wednesday - 11 degrees above the 1954 mark.

Austin's 83 topped its 1927 high by 5, Battle Mountain reached 89 to add 9 degrees to its 1999 record and Tonopah's 83 was 4 degrees above its 1962 mark.

Cooler air on Thursday was expected to bring an end to the string of records in all but the southern tip of the state with nighttime temperatures slipping below freezing in the north and central sections by the weekend.