Storms bringing cloudy, windy conditions to Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 | 6:53 a.m.

A storm system from the west has been bringing heavy rains overnight to southeast California and parts of southern Nevada. But about all the Las Vegas Valley can expect from the storm today are cloudy skies and gusty winds.

The National Weather Service says rain and even some snow in elevations above 9,000 feet will clear out this afternoon as the storm weakens over Inyo County in California and Esmeralda and Nye counties in southern Nevada.

Although Las Vegas wasn't seeing any rain this morning, the humidity level was at 42 percent, making the temperature of 66 degrees just before 6 a.m. at McCarran International Airport feel like a 78 degrees.

The temperature was expected to be 65 degrees at 9 a.m., 75 degrees at noon and top out today at 80 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 82 degrees and the record high is 96 degrees, set in 1950.

Winds will be between 8 and 16 mph from the southwest today, with gusts as high as 23 mph today and 21 mph tonight, the weather service said.

High pressure will bring in temperatures that are well above normal to the Las Vegas area through the weekend, the weather service said.

Warmer weather moves in Thursday, with the afternoon highs reaching 85 degrees on Thursday, 90 on Friday and 91 on both Saturday and Sunday, forecasters said.