Las Vegas on tap to record its coldest New Year’s Eve

It’s going to be a chilly start to 2011: 28 degrees in Las Vegas at midnight, if the National Weather Service’s prediction is correct.

Today’s high temperature will likely enter the record books as Las Vegas’ coldest New Year’s Eve with the mercury dropping to levels not seen in more than two years.

The National Weather Service said Las Vegas will see a high of 38 degrees today. That’s well below the coldest high temperature ever recorded on Dec. 31 in Las Vegas, which is 45 degrees set in 1975.

The last time the high temperature reached only the 30s was during a snowstorm on Dec. 17, 2008, when the high was 39 degrees.

The average low temperature for New Year’s Day in Las Vegas is 36 degrees and the record low was 18 degrees in 1990. The average high for the day is 56 degrees; the record high was 74 degrees in 1995.

Forecasters expect temperatures in 2011 to remain below 50 degrees until at least Tuesday, with a high of 42 degrees Saturday, 45 on Sunday and 48 on Monday.

Skies should be clear to watch fireworks tonight, but a storm system is expected to move toward the area Sunday and bring a 20 percent chance of rain Monday.

In the meantime, weather officials recommend residents prepare their homes for freezing by wrapping pipes and keeping plants and pets indoors.

Visitors and locals who plan to ring in the new year outdoors should wear warm layers of clothing and limit alcoholic beverages, the weather service said.

(source:lasvegassun.com)