LV sets September high-temperature record

High 114; Woodland Hills, Calif., hit 121

Las Vegas had its highest temperature ever recorded in September when it reached

114 degrees on Sunday.

The previous record was 113, set in 1950, National Weather Service meteorologist Barry Pierce said. The record high for Sept. 6 was

110, set in 1995.

But Pierce said a storm front from Canada is expected to drop the high temperatures by about 25 degrees as the week goes on.

Monday has a forecast high of 112, Pierce said, before the high drops to 88 on Tuesday, with gusts of up to 50 mph expected. The high temperature is forecast to drop to 81 on Wednesday before climbing up to 88 on Thursday and 95 on

Saturday.

“There’s a really big storm system coming down from Canada,” Pierce said. “Utah and Colorado are expecting snow, but we’re probably just going to see the wind because the system is a little too far to the east of us.”

Saturday was the 138th day without measurable rain at Mccarran International Airport. The record is 150 rain-free days, set in 1959. That record could be tied Sept. 17.

California heat

California saw record temperatures on Sunday as well.

Downtown Los Angeles reached 111, and a record-shattering high of 121 was recorded in the nearby Woodland Hills neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley.

It was the highest temperature ever recorded in Los Angeles County, according to the National Weather Service. The mark rivaled the high in California’s Death Valley, typically the hottest place in the country.

Meanwhile, downtown San Francisco set a record for the day with a high of 100, smashing the previous mark by 5 degrees.

“By our calculations, over 99% of California’s population is under an Excessive Heat Warning or

Heat Advisory today,” the weather service in Sacramento tweeted Sunday afternoon.

Power issues

The high temperatures are driving up power use, and NV Energy urged customers to conserve energy during the hottest hours of the day Sunday.

Pacific Gas & Electric, California’s largest utility, warned customers that it might cut power starting Tuesday because of expected high winds and heat that could create even greater fire danger. Some of the state’s largest and deadliest fires in recent years have been sparked by downed power lines and other utility equipment.