On an average day, the sizzling heat of Las Vegas scarcely turns heads. Yet this past Sunday, an extraordinary event unfolded as thermometers at the city’s official airport weather station soared to an astonishing 120°F at precisely 3:38 p.m. local time. This announcement, courtesy of the National Weather Service (NWS), wasn’t merely the talk of the town—it marked a historic moment as the hottest temperature ever recorded in Las Vegas.
Earlier that same sweltering day, at 2:33 p.m., city thermometers had already climbed to a blistering 118°F, surpassing the previously documented high of 117°F. A temperature that Las Vegas had become acquainted with on the 19th of July, 2005, and again met on the 30th of June, 2013, the 20th of June, 2017, and the 10th of July, 2021.
The forecast had predicted a high of 117°F, with chances of reaching record-breaking heat at about 25%, according to the weather service. Yet the city would defy those odds, etching a new extreme into the annals of its meteorological history.
While one might hesitate to attribute a single climatic event to the overarching phenomenon of climate change, it’s undeniable that Las Vegas stands out as one of the fastest-warming regions in the American West. Local average summer temperatures have escalated by nearly 6°F since 1970. Also notable is the fact that Las Vegas has not witnessed a new low-temperature record in over a quarter of a century, underscoring an upward trend in the city’s thermal readings.
Controversy has wrapped its fingers around Vegas’ historical temperature peak, often cited as 118°F back on the 26th of July, 1931. However, NWS meteorologist Daniel Berc illuminated the reality that the National Weather Service has never acknowledged that particular figure as official. The measurement was taken by one Charles Pember “Pop” Squires — a newspaper publisher and not a meteorologist — in the non-official surroundings of his backyard. It wasn’t until the ushering in of 1937, with the US Weather Bureau—now known as the NWS—establishing their weather station at Nellis Air Force Base, that official recordings began.
For those planning to brave the outdoors in Las Vegas, particularly this week, take heed. Cooling stations across the Strip have opened their doors, and the need for constant hydration cannot be stressed enough. Beware the twin threats of heat-related ailments: heat exhaustion and the more severe heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is your body waving a red flag, with potential symptoms such as cramps, nausea, a pale, clammy appearance, increased heart rate, dizziness, weakness, and fainting. If you encounter such signs, seek shelter, elevate your feet, drink fluids designed to hydrate (steering clear of alcohol), and apply cool, damp cloths to your underarms and skin.
Heat stroke, on the other hand, is the body’s critical cry for help as it crosses the threshold of its upper-temperature limit of 106°F—a snare all too easy to fall into at 119°F. Organ inflammation, disrupted nerve functions, breathing difficulty, seizures, fever, and loss of consciousness are the dire markers of this condition. In the event of suspected heat stroke, an immediate call to 911 is crucial, for at this point, no further warning will preface a potentially fatal outcome.
The significance of these heat warnings cannot be overstated — heat remains the foremost weather-related killer in the United States, claiming lives at a rate eight times greater than hurricanes. In 2022 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,714 heat-related fatalities, a staggering figure that represents a 740% increase since 2004. It’s a sobering reminder that behind every weather record, there lies both a story and a stark warning.
