Triple-digit heat moving back in to Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009 | 5:12 a.m.

It may be September, but your air conditioner will get a workout this week.

Triple-digit temperatures return today to the Las Vegas Valley. And afternoon temperatures are expected to be slightly higher for the rest of the week, says the National Weather Service.

This morning's temperatures were starting out in the upper 70s. But they're expected to climb to a high near 101 degrees, under sunny skies, the weather service said.

The normal high for today is 96 degrees and the record high is 108 degrees, set in 1944. Tuesday's high was 99 degrees, which was 3 degrees above normal, but well under the record of 110 set in 1979.

High temperatures will be even hotter for the rest of the week, according to the forecast. Afternoon highs will be 103 on Thursday, 105 on Friday, 104 on Saturday and 103 on Sunday, according to the forecast.

The warmer-than-normal temperatures are being brought on by high pressure building over the West through the rest of the week, producing mostly dry conditions, the weather service said.

However, the region could get a few isolated thunderstorms today, especially over the higher terrains of eastern Mohave County in Arizona, the weather service said.