Las Vegas Valley to warm up into the 70s

By Dave Toplikar (contact)

Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 | 6:30 a.m.

Pull out the sunglasses and head outside this afternoon - Las Vegas will be sunny and warm today, hitting a high of 73 degrees.

But a Pacific storm moving into northern Nevada today will produce very strong winds across the higher elevations of the southern Sierra.

Although winds will be calm locally, the storm could bring strong and gusty winds across areas north of the valley today through early this evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures were starting out at 45 degrees at 5:56 p.m. at McCarran International Airport. It was 40 degrees at both North Las Vegas Airport and at Henderson Executive Airport and 45 degrees in Boulder City. Nellis Air Force Base reported 36 degrees.

The normal morning low for today's date for McCarran is 42 degrees and the record low was 23 degrees, set in 1956.

Temperatures will rise to 57 degrees by 9 a.m., to 70 degrees by noon and to 73 degrees by 2 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 64 degrees and the record high is 76, set in 2007, 1976 and 1954.

This evening, temperatures will fall to 67 degrees by 5 p.m., to 64 degrees by 7 p.m., and to 57 by 10 p.m., forecasters said.

Saturday's morning low will be 48 degrees about 6 a.m., then climb to a high of 66 by 4 p.m., the weather service said.

Sunday's morning low will be 42 degrees and Sunday's high will be 66 degrees, forecasters said.