Las Vegas warm for Veterans Day

By Dave Toplikar (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 | 7:20 a.m.

Partly sunny skies and temperatures near 80 degrees are in store for Las Vegas today for Veterans Day.

But tonight, a cold front sweeps in, bringing more cloud cover, the chance for precipitation and strong winds that will rip through through the west side of the Las Vegas Valley, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service said gusts around 40 mph could occur in areas from Mountains Edge to Summerlin along the foothills of the Spring Mountains.

A high wind watch will be in effect from this evening through Thursday afternoon for Mount Charleston, Red Rock Canyon and the Spring Mountains, the weather service said.

A period of strong downslope winds is possible on the east side of the Spring Mountains tonight and Thursday, forecasters said. Southwest winds gusting to around 60 mph will be possible in Red Rock Canyon, with higher guest possible at the higher elevations, forecasters said.

The storm system will also bring in cooler temperatures and a chance for rain and mountain snow mainly in the Southern Great Basin Thursday into Friday morning.

Forecasters also said a second storm system could bring strong north-to-northwest winds and more cool air Saturday or Sunday into the valley, although the chance of widespread hazardous weather is low.

Temperatures were starting out this morning at 56 degrees at 6:56 a.m. at McCarran International Airport. The normal low for today's date is 45 degrees and the record low is 24 degrees, set in 1950.

Forecasters say the temperature will rise to 68 degrees by 9 a.m., to 76 by noon and will top out at 80 degrees by 3 p.m. The record high for today's date is 85 degrees, set in 1973. The normal high for today's date is 68 degrees.

Overnight, temperatures will drop to a low of 58 degrees Thursday morning, then climb to a high of 74 by 2 p.m. Thursday, forecasters said.

Friday will see a major cooling off, with temperatures starting at 52 degrees and warming up to only 65 degrees, the weather service said.

Saturday's morning low will be 46 degrees and Saturday's high will be around 64 degrees. Sunday's high will be near 62 degrees, forecasters said.