Blowing dust in forecast prompts county air quality advisory

By Dave Toplikar

Published Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 | 5:30 a.m.

Updated Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 | 10:08 a.m.

Las Vegas will have mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 60s today. But winds will begin picking up, with gusts as high as 21 mph, as colder weather moves in for the rest of the week.

Clark County officials on Monday issued an air quality advisory for dust due to expected high winds. The Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management said blowing dust is possible Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.

Officials don't believe unhealthy levels of dust will occur, but they are asking construction site operators to take precautions to prevent blowing dust.

The possible blowing dust is courtesy of a low pressure system leaving Arizona today that will be followed by a very cold air mass dropping out of Canada and into the southern Great Basin Tuesday through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The cold air mass will bring gusty north winds to much of the region, with subfreezing temperatures to the lower deserts Tuesday night through Wednesday night, the weather service said.

The weather service has issued a high wind watch for southeast Nevada, including the Las Vegas Valley, Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday.

North winds gusting to 60 mph will be possible as a strong cold front pushes down through southern Nevada, forecasters said. Winds will be from 25 to 35 mph with gusts between 40 and 50 mph Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday across much of the area, they said.

Homeowners are urged to secure trash cans and other loose or lightweight outdoor objects, they said. Motorists will need to drive with added caution because of strong crosswinds, they said.

Strong winds in excess of 30 mph will create dangerous boating conditions on area lakes and could create very choppy waters and generate large waves, which could capsize or swamp small craft, they said.

High pressure will rebuild going into the weekend with a gradual warming trend.

At 4:56 a.m. today, the temperature at McCarran International Airport was 51 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 39 degrees. The record low was 19 degrees, set in 1949, 1948 and 1946.

Around the valley just before 5 a.m., temperatures were 49 degrees at North Las Vegas Airport, 46 degrees at Nellis Air Force Base and 47 degrees at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the valley were to be 51 degrees by 9 a.m., then climb to 60 degrees by noon and reach a high of 63 degrees by 2 p.m., forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 60 degrees and the record high was 75 degrees, set in 2003.

Temperatures are expected to drop to 57 degrees by 6 p.m., to 50 degrees by 9 p.m. and to 46 degrees by midnight, forecasters said.

Thursday's morning low will be 42 degrees and Thursday's high will climb to 51 degrees, they said.

Sun reporter Jackie Valley contributed to this report.