After warm day today, temperatures to take a tumble

By Mary Manning

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | 7:56 a.m.

After a calm, sunny morning, Las Vegas residents can expect breezier conditions today with a cold pool of air plunging into Southern Nevada for the weekend.

The high temperature is expected to be near 90 degrees today with a low around 63 degrees overnight. Southwest winds could gusts up to 25 mph this afternoon.

Friday will begin with high, thin clouds increasing along with winds. The high should be near 78 degrees.

Stronger winds will become noticeable Friday afternoon and evening as colder air plunges into the Great Basin, giving the best chance of showers north of Las Vegas. A shower or two is possible in the valley by the weekend.

Early Saturday, winds should begin to shift as the cold air mass moves in from western Canada, the National Weather Service said. West winds up to 28 mph with gusts as high as 38 mph can be expected overnight with a low in the mid 50s.

Daytime temperatures are expected to drop 20 to 25 degrees over the weekend, weather service meteorologist Larry Jensen said.

Clouds will stream in along with west winds on Saturday and there's a 20 percent chance of a shower after 11 a.m. with the high expected to hit 64 degrees. That would set a record, since the coolest high temperature of 65 degrees was set on Oct. 11, 1997, Jensen said.

"People are going to notice it," Jensen said of the change in temperatures. "People who think they are going to be sitting by the pool are going to be surprised."

By Saturday night, skies should be partly cloudy with a low around 52 degrees.

Sunday's high, at 71 degrees, won't be a new low daytime record, Jensen said. The high of 63 degrees set on Oct. 12, 1947, should be safe.

For Columbus Day, Monday's temperature should reach the mid 70s with a gradual warming trend into the 80s by mid-week.