Temperature sets record for highest low — and it’s getting hotter

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Monday, July 12, 2010 | 10:17 a.m.

This morning was the warmest ever in Las Vegas for today's date.

The National Weather Service said the city set a record high minimum temperature at McCarran International Airport. The low dropped only to 88 degrees, forecasters said.

The record high minimum was previously 85 degrees, set in 2002, according to weather service records. The normal low for Las Vegas on July 12 is 78 degrees.

More records could fall in the next few days. Forecasters said the low temperature each morning this week will be about 88 degrees.

The high temperature today and Tuesday is expected to reach 107 degrees, with a high Wednesday and Thursday of 110 degrees, forecasters said.

Then it really heats up. On Friday and Saturday, the mercury is expected to soar to 113 degrees, the national weather service said. The record high on both of those days is 116 degrees.

Forecasters said excessive heat warnings might be issued late this week and into the weekend. The criteria for an excessive heat warning in mid-July is when afternoon temperatures are expected to be 112 degrees or higher at McCarran.

The temperature at McCarran at 10 a.m. today was 99 degrees.