Winds of temperature change blowing
Rushing air downs power lines, heralds chill
High winds that whipped through the Las Vegas Valley on Sunday caused power outages and disrupted businesses and were expected to lead to a sharp drop in temperatures this week.
As of 8:45 p.m., the National Weather Service had recorded 62 mph gusts at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Gusts reached 43 mph in Henderson and 56 mph at Mccarran International Airport, the weather service said.
More than 1,400 people in the northwest valley temporarily lost power Sunday evening, NV Energy reported. Several other minor outages were reported in the valley, affecting hundreds more residents.
Monday is expected to have a high of 50 degrees, a low of 32 and winds that could gust up to 35 mph, the weather service said. The valley could see sustained 15- to 25-mph winds, which are expected to calm down by Monday evening.
Tuesday has a forecast low of 30 and a high of 48, the weather service said. If Tuesday’s high stays at 48, it will mark the first time the high was below 50 degrees since Jan. 7, 2017, the weather service said.
Chilly weather will continue Wednesday with a forecast low of 34 and a high of 51. The valley will warm up slightly starting Thursday, with an expected low of 41 and a high of 56.
China Lights, the international lantern festival at Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas, was canceled Sunday because of weather.
“The lanterns will be fine, but when it’s too windy, we can’t do the performances, and it won’t be enjoyable for the people watching,” event manager Huiyuan Liu said.
At the Las Vegas Farm, off Grand Teton Drive, owner Sharon Lisenbardt worked to keep animals safe.
The 5-acre farm is home to hundreds of animals, and damage from high winds sometimes take weeks to clean up.
“When the wind gets this high, it’s almost like the Fourth of July as far as scaring an animal,” she said. “They get in trouble if things start falling around.”
This week’s forecast cold snap will not stay long enough to cause any significant damage to plants, said Gigi Umpierre, a saleswoman for Moon Valley Nurseries in the northwest valley.
Umpierre suggests that people wrap their citrus trees and queen palms in burlap to protect them from the cold.