Summer heat could break records

Caitlin Hudgins

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 | 9:44 a.m.

Summer officially started Monday, and Las Vegas Valley residents can expect temperatures to be above normal for the next two months, according to meteorologist Andy Bailey of the National Weather Service.

"Certainly we'll break some record minimum temperatures," he said, "and it's quite conceivable that daytime temperature records will be broken."

Lately, though, the weather hasn't been reaching any extremes. The hottest day recorded in June so far was in 1940 on June 15, which clocked in at 116 degrees. The high on June 15 this year was only 103 degrees.

Temperatures so far this summer are sticking to the average, or slightly below that.

In May the high temperature reached 90 to 100 degrees on 14 days, compared with an average 15 for the area, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Only one day last month was 100 to 105, compared with a May average of 2.2 days.

June's temperatures should also hover around average, according to records and forecasts from the National Weather Service.

Meteorologists are predicting four days with temperatures between 105 and 110 this June, compared with an average of 7.6 days. Currently, the heat hasn't reached a temperature over 110 degrees, but 1.8 days above that temperature are normal for June.

Rainfall hasn't deviated far from average, either. Since Jan. 1 Las Vegas has received 2.62 inches of rain, compared with a 2.28 inch average and 2.86 inches last year.

Those numbers support the Climate Prediction Center's drought statistics, which indicate that the five-year regional drought will persist or intensify. Even when some parts of the valley received just enough of a drizzle to mark cars with water spots last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor still deemed the West's lack of water "severe."