Las Vegas residents and visitors should gear up for another sweltering week, with smoke from the California wildfires adding to the discomfort. The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for the southern areas, including San Bernardino and Mohave counties and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area for Wednesday and Thursday. Above-normal temperatures paired with "afternoon southwesterly breezes, and dry conditions will continue through the week," the NWS reports.
The threat of fires is elevated due to the parched conditions, leading to a Red Flag Warning for fire zone 461. While winds are not forecasted to reach the criteria for a typical Red Flag event, the NWS is alarmed because "fuels are extremely dry due to the unseasonably low humidity and lack of rainfall, which has plagued most of the region for most of the summer." Despite the extreme heat and fire concerns, the smoke-sullied skies are likely to linger, with the Gifford Fire near Santa Barbara holding at 72,000 acres and the new Gold Fire north of Big Bear Lake at approximately 350 acres.
Aviation operations in the region will not be exempt from these adverse conditions. The Harry Reid Airport could face occasional gusts up to 25 knots and "slantwise visibility reductions," especially along the Daggett corridor, according to the NWS forecast discussion. The temperatures at the airport are expected to surpass 100°F, peaking near 107F in the late afternoon to early evening hours. Similar conditions apply to the TAF sites in the Las Vegas area, where temporary reductions in surface visibility are also possible, though deemed less likely.
