Highs to hit upper 60s in Las Vegas

By Dave Toplikar

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 | 5:27 a.m.

Pull out your sunglasses and leave your heavy coat behind.

High pressure will bring mostly clear skies and temperatures that are well above normal for this time of year to the Las Vegas Valley this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will continue to climb into the upper 60s through the early part of the upcoming week, the weather service said.

Then a series of storms will roll into the region during the second half of the upcoming week, bringing cooler temperatures, gusty winds and chances for mountain snow and valley rain, forecasters said.

Gusty north winds are expected down the Colorado River today and Sunday, especially in the Laughlin and Bullhead City area, the weather service 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 21 degrees, set in 1972.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 44 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 38 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 42 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to rise today to 56 degrees by 9 a.m., to 64 degrees by noon and reach a high of 66 degrees by 2 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 58 degrees and the record high was 72 degrees, set in 1939.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 59 degrees by 6 p.m., to 54 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 52 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Sunday's morning low will be 49 degrees and Saturday's high will climb to 68 degrees, they said.