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Las Vegas sits in a desert valley in southern Nevada, within the Mojave Desert and ringed by mountains at around 620 metres above sea level, at approximately 36.17°N, 115.14°W. It has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) with extremely hot, dry summers and mild but cool-nighted winters, abundant sunshine — over 300 sunny days a year — and very little rain.
Summer, from May to September, is long, extremely hot and dry, with July the hottest month — average highs around 40–41°C and frequent spells above 43°C, with the record reaching 47°C. The very low humidity makes the dry heat somewhat more bearable than humid heat, but it is still fierce, and the surrounding desert can generate dust storms. The summer monsoon brings occasional thunderstorms and the risk of flash flooding to the valley.
Winter, from December to February, is mild by day but cool at night, with December and January the coolest — average highs around 14–15°C and lows near 3–5°C, occasionally dipping to freezing. Snow is rare in the valley, though the surrounding mountains are often dusted white. This mild, sunny, dry season is comfortably the most pleasant time of year.
Las Vegas is one of the driest cities in the United States, receiving only around 100–115 mm of rain a year, split between winter Pacific storms and summer monsoon thunderstorms, with June the driest month. Rain is so scarce that when it does fall heavily, the hard desert ground sheds it quickly, causing flash floods. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
Las Vegas's climate is defined by its Mojave Desert setting — relentless sunshine, extreme summer heat and extraordinary dryness, with a wide gap between hot days and cool nights. Its rare but intense rainfall makes flash flooding a real hazard in the mountain-ringed valley, and the summer monsoon of July to September is the main break in the otherwise near-constant blue skies.
To follow any single measurement in Las Vegas more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.