Warm, sunny weekend on the way for Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010 | 6:15 a.m.

Get ready for a pleasant weekend — clouds will be decreasing each day, sending afternoon temperatures well into the upper 60s.

A northwesterly flow with considerable mid- and high-level moisture will remain over the region today, bringing partly cloudy skies and temperatures a few degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service.

Then ridge of high pressure will rebuild over the weekend, pushing away the clouds and allowing for clear and mild weather into early next week, forecasters said.

"North winds will kick up a bit down the Colorado River each afternoon, but aside from that, a very pleasant weekend is in store for much of the region," the weather service said.

At 5:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 44 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 37 degrees. The record low was 20 degrees, set in 1972.

Around the valley just before 6 a.m., temperatures were 41 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 36 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 40 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 54 degrees by 9 a.m., to 61 degrees by noon and reach a high of 63 degrees by 3 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 58 degrees and the record high was 74 degrees, set in 1950.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 57 degrees by 6 p.m., to 52 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 50 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Saturday's morning low will be 48 degrees and Saturday's high will climb to 67 degrees, they said.