Las Vegas: Temperatures of 117 or more expected for the weekend

The Los Angeles area isn’t the only spot expecting record heat: Las Vegas is anticipating highs Saturday, Sunday and Monday of 117 degrees, tying an all-time record first set in 1942 and exceeded in 2005.

The thermometer may soar higher still along the Strip, said meteorologist Reed Wolcott at the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas.

“There’s so much concrete there, it’s going to be ever hotter,” he said. “That pavement could be 150, easily, and it radiates upward.”

Wolcott’s advice: “Stay indoors if you can, in air conditioning.” Which isn’t so hard to do in Las Vegas.

The excessive-heat warning will remain in effect for the next several days, he said. Tuesday’s forecast high is cooler at 114, but hardly a break.

Wolcott said that many tourists don’t realize how far it is between resorts along Las Vegas Boulevard, so dehydration can be a problem--especially for those who’ve been consuming alcohol.

“Drink lots of water consistently, more than you think you need,” he said.

It’s not apt to cool down much at night: Wolcott said temperatures above 100 degrees are likely at midnight. They’ll remain in the 90s at 5 a.m., often the coolest time of day in the Mojave Desert.

Temperatures will be even hotter – and more dangerous – at lower elevations. For example, along the Colorado River in Laughlin, temperatures as hot as 124 both Saturday and Sunday. That’s just below the all-time high of 125, set on June 28, 1994.

Follow us on Twitter @latimestravel and like us on Facebook