Cloudy but mild for Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 | 5 a.m.

Cloudy skies and temperatures climbing into the low 60s are on the way today for Las Vegas.

The clouds are being brought in by a westerly flow with considerable mid- and high-level moisture that will remain over the region through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Then a ridge of high pressure rebuilds this weekend, pushing away most of the clouds and allowing for clear and mild weather into early next week, the weather service said.

Sunday's temperatures are expected to be eight to 10 degrees above normal and highs could get close to the records of 70 degrees on Monday and 72 on Tuesday, forecasters said.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 46 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 37 degrees. The record low was 16 degrees, set in 1956.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 46 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 40 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 43 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 53 degrees by 9 a.m., to 60 degrees by noon and reach a high of 62 degrees by 2 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 58 degrees and the record high was 71 degrees, set in 1975 and 1950.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 57 degrees by 6 p.m., to 51 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 49 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Friday's morning low will be 47 degrees and Friday's high will climb to 64 degrees, they said.