It might only be March, but it feels like we’ve skipped spring entirely and dived straight into summer. If you haven’t checked the forecast yet, brace yourselves: an official ‘excessive heat warning’ is in effect across Southern Nevada right now – and it won’t lift until 8 PM this Sunday.
Record breaking heat in Vegas
Thanks to a massive heat dome parked over the Southwest, we’re breaking temperature records left and right. Normally, our average daytime high for mid-March sits comfortably in the low 70s. Instead, we’re looking at temperatures soaring well past the 90-degree mark. We’re expected to hit 96 degrees today (Thursday, March 19), completely destroying the previous daily record of 90 set back in 2017. We’re also topping our all-time hottest March temperature of 93 degrees from 2022.
But wait, it gets worse: the National Weather Service is giving us a 50% chance of hitting triple digits by Friday, and a 40% chance on Saturday. For a bit of context, Las Vegas has literally never recorded a 100-degree day in March – or even in April! Our earliest 100-degree day ever recorded was May 1, 1947.
This historic hot streak is the grand finale to a remarkably toasty winter which brought us the 2nd warmest February and 5th warmest January on record.
Stay safe through this heatwave!
It’s going to be a historically scorching weekend. We live in the desert, so you know the drill, but it bears repeating this early in the year: hydrate frequently. Grab your biggest water bottles, double-check your AC, and try to stay in the shade. Find a pool if you wanna be out – the dayclubs are open and waiting for you!
