TODAY: High temperatures in the low triple digits with breezy to gusty winds, Red Flag Warning due to critical fire danger
TONIGHT: Clear skies and temperatures in the 90s, dipping into the 80s and possibly the low 70s overnight
THIS WEEKEND: Temps near normal with lots of sunshine, still gusty Saturday but winds calm down in time for Father's Day on Sunday
NEXT WEEK: Extreme heat returns with temps around 110° likely by mid-week
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High temperatures are continuing to creep back down closer to where they should be for this time of year, but that doesn't mean we won't be hot this weekend!
Daytime highs across the region will be in the low triple digits today, tomorrow and for Father's Day on Sunday, with lots of sunshine — we're going for 103° officially today at the airport, 101° tomorrow and 103° again on Sunday.
We have a Red Flag Warning in place until 11 o'clock tonight across the entire state of Nevada (the entire Intermountain West, really) for critical fire danger due to gusty winds and extremely dry conditions, which means that any new fire starts are likely to spread rapidly, and existing fires are more difficult to fight for firefighters.
Speaking of, we had two large wildfires break out in Lincoln County south of Caliente on Wednesday thanks to a couple lightning strikes, and I've gotten some questions about whether or not we'll see any smoke from those fires here in the Las Vegas Valley.
The answer? We won't — winds are coming from the south and going north, which means that any smoke from the Lincoln County fires will be pushed north through the rest of Lincoln County and into White Pine County and western Utah, so places like Ely are very likely to see smoke impacts today and tomorrow.
WATCH | Lincoln County wildfire updates, answering questions about potential smoke impacts in Las Vegas
Our air quality in Las Vegas is forecasted to tiptoe between the "moderate" and "unhealthy for sensitive groups" categories today and tomorrow, mostly due to persistent ozone (typical for summer in Las Vegas) and some light wildfire smoke drifting into Clark County from fires in central California.
Winds will stick around on Saturday, and be much calmer by the time we reach Father's Day on Sunday, which will be very seasonable for whatever you have planned for dad — just remember to stay hydrated and be fire aware, especially if you're having a barbecue!
Looking ahead to next week, we see the return of extreme heat across Southern Nevada, with daytime highs at, near or above 110° by Wednesday and Thursday, so enjoy this (relative) break from scorching temps this weekend while it lasts!
