A guide to weather in Las Vegas
A general weather code to abide by when you’re planning Las Vegas holidays is to assume that it’s going to be hot. Boasting a subtropical desert climate as a result of its Mojave Desert location, Las Vegas breaks offer winter temperatures that rarely scrape the freezing mark, while summertime is one big ball of warmth. Temperatures in the 40s °C aren’t just an anomaly – they’re a regular thing.
This is meant to be taken in stride – with Las Vegas, you’ve got a destination that essentially doesn’t know the meaning of winter. So get your sandals, sun hats and T-shirts ready, because in this patch of Nevada, you’re in for one balmy ride.
Winter
Las Vegas does experience some form of winter — at least compared to its other seasons. Winter in Las Vegas isn’t like winter in the United Kingdom, mostly because it rains minimally and the average temperature still stays in the low teens °C.
Due to its elevation within the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas does experience cooler periods than other places in Nevada, but that’s still not saying much. The temperatures at night are known to be markedly chillier than the daytime, but still far warmer than the UK.
December is historically the coolest and cloudiest month, with temperatures that can sometimes dip into the single digits. This is also when the mountains surrounding Las Vegas will typically see snow. It’s much rarer for the area to ever see snowfall, although it has been known to happen on occasion. Cheap holidays to Las Vegas are easy to find in the cooler season, but aren’t in short supply throughout the summer either.
Spring
Spring in Las Vegas stretches from March to May, and it’s between these months that Las Vegas is really in its prime. The city has come out of the somewhat chilly weather and hasn’t yet reached its summertime peak of excessive heat. But as the spring goes on and summer approaches, the temperatures only continue to increase.
Throughout the spring, rainfall in Las Vegas is consistently low. The mercury on thermometers tends to hover around the mid-20s °C, where the air is nice and comfortable for outdoor activities or endless laps around the Las Vegas strip. The lows begin in the single digits and slowly make their way up to the mid-teens come May.
Summer
Summertime is undoubtedly the warmest and sunniest season for this Nevada city, yet it’s still easily the most popular with holidaymakers. Considering Las Vegas is located in a desert, it’ll come as no surprise that the temperatures here are regularly hot.
We’re talking highs that reach the 40s °C and lows that very, very rarely dip below the 20s °C. The humidity also tends to stay low during these summer months, which can make temperatures feel even hotter.
There’s very little rain during the summer in Las Vegas, combined with an average of 13 hours of sunshine per day. But don’t let these sunny conditions scare you off. The average temperature during a summer day typically hovers around the mid-30s °C and you’ll struggle to find anywhere that isn’t air conditioned. Just think of it this way – warmer, cloudless days mean more time at the golf course and a lot more time relaxing by the pool.
Autumn
Much like spring, autumn is a pleasant time of year in Las Vegas. It’s not as hot as summer, but nowhere near the autumns we’re used to in the UK. True to form, temperatures will start high in September as summer tapers out and continue to decrease until winter.
Beginning in September, temperatures average with highs in the mid- to high-30s °C and lows in the 20s °C, then gradually get cooler until November, when the highs are in the mid-teens and lows drop down to 5°C.