Excessive heat in Las Vegas will persist into late next week

A digital sign displays a temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit as a heat wave continues to bake the Southwest United States. June 17, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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The intense and potentially record-setting heat wave building across Nevada could continue through much of next week, according to the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.

An Excessive Heat Warning will be in effect in much of southern Nevada through at least Wednesday, due to dangerous and prolonged heat across the region. Temperatures in Southern Nevada are likely to soar 12 to 14 degrees above seasonal averages throughout the next week.

The worst of the heat will be centered in the Las Vegas Valley, western Clark County and southern Nye County, where dangerously hot conditions will persist for an unusually long period. Las Vegas will be exposed to 10 days or more days of 110-degree heat. According to the National Weather Service, such a streak has only happened twice: June 17 to 26 in 1962, and just last year from July 14 to 23.

Death Valley could reach well into the mid-upper 120s. In 2020 and 2021, Death Valley’s Furnace Creek hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest temperature recorded on Earth was 134° in Death Valley in 1913, though meteorologists have long questioned that reading.

However, even if temperatures come off their peaks next week, long-range forecasts indicate a high likelihood that above-average temperatures will persist in the West. The cause is another heat dome that has not moved significantly since forming. It’s bigger than the June heat dome that led to the hottest June ever recorded.

Las Vegas finished June with an average temperature of 94.6 degrees — a new monthly record, and 7 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. In June, a record 28 days in Las Vegas reached temperatures 100 degrees or higher. Since the end of May, all but a handful of days have reached triple-digit temperatures.

Heat waves like these have become more frequent in the United States in recent decades, according to a team of researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. In an analysis of long-term trends, researchers found that summer heat waves in the U.S. roughly doubled in number between 1980 and 2023, increasing from an average of two to four per month.

John Mejia, a climatologist with the Desert Research Institute, said a big issue with heat domes in the West is they are traveling over areas already facing record breaking temperatures due to climate change, increasing the severity of heat.

“Right now, 130 million people are exposed to extreme heat in the U.S. Not only because of the heat wave in the West Coast, but there is also an ongoing heat wave in the Southeast and Northwest,” Mejia said.

One of the most troubling aspects of the heat wave gripping Nevada are the high nighttime temperatures, said Mejia. Hot temperatures overnight will mean little relief from the daytime heat, especially in Las Vegas and Death Valley, where low temperatures may not fall below 90 degrees for several days. 

The effect of constant heat on a body over a prolonged time increases the risk of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, cardiovascular and respiratory complications, and renal failure. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can also have negative effects on fetal health, and preterm birth, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. 

“That’s the time when your body is supposed to rest and recover from extreme heat during the daytime, so it’s going to create some heat exhaustion in the population,” Mejia said.

‘Extreme heat’ reprieve, and power outages

Clark County has opened cooling stations through Wednesday, July 10. A list of available cooling stations can be found online in English and Spanish.

The Southern Nevada Health District recommends people drink plenty of water even if they’re not thirsty, avoid alcohol consumption, keep a mobile phone on hand at all times if outdoors, and to stay indoors between noon and sundown to avoid the hottest part of the day. 

“The Southern Nevada Health District urges people to protect themselves and others during periods of extreme heat by staying cool, staying hydrated and staying informed,” said District Health Officer Dr. Fermin Leguen in a statement.

NV Energy warned the long-lasting heatwave next week may cause possible power outages, but assured customers they will have extra crews on standby.

“As is safe to do so, our crews will work through the heat conditions to make necessary repairs and restore power safely,” said NV Energy communication officer Meghin Delaney, adding that customers can track outages online. 

Know your rights

Nevada residents should also be aware of their rights. Under Nevada law, landlords are required to repair, or make satisfactory progress toward repairing, faulty air conditioning units within 48 hours after receiving a written notice, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Renters are advised to send a dated letter to their landlord notifying them of the unit problems, and request the issues be fixed according to NRS 118A.  Renters can download a sample letter template for essential service complaints from the agency’s website. 

Renters should keep a copy for themselves and send it by certified mail with a return receipt from the U.S. Postal Service for proof that the landlord received it.

The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Public Health also maintains a Landlord Tenant Hotline at (702) 895-1971, which you can call for additional information. Nevada Legal Services can also help with the civil process at (702) 386-0404.

Nevada law also protects utility customers from power shut-offs during periods of extreme heat, when a lack of air conditioning can result in waves of hospitalizations or even death. 

According to state statute, a utility company can’t terminate service for a non-paying customer if the National Weather Service has forecast a period of extreme heat within the next 24 hours in the customer’s geographical area. 

In Southern Nevada, 100 degrees or higher is considered extreme heat for elderly or disabled residents living in mobile homes constructed before January 2000. 

For elderly or disabled residents who live in other housing, 103 degrees or higher is considered extreme heat. NV Energy must also notify elderly customers at least 48 hours before termination of power.

Nevada residents 62 years or older are considered elderly, but NV Energy does not collect customers’ ages, so elderly customers must notify NV Energy of their age to benefit from the state statute. 

According to state statute, a utility also can’t terminate service to a customer if the utility knows that a household resident is confined to the home or uses a life support device, and is likely to die without the device if their power is shut off. 

For all other residents in Southern Nevada, a forecast of 105 degrees or higher within a 24 hour period is considered extreme heat. Utilities also can’t terminate service to a customer for nonpayment if the outstanding amount owed is $50 or less.

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