Record high temperatures will be present over the next couple of days as a very strong ridge of high pressure stays right over western Nevada. All that heat will likely force some afternoon cloud formation, but things are a little too stable for those clouds to develop into much of a chance of rainfall. Expect mostly sunny skies in the morning to become partly cloudy by the afternoon, with high temperatures in the upper 90s on Friday and Saturday. Also expect smoke and haze to continue from the fires in California. Temperatures will cool into the mid-90s on Sunday before a cold front moves in Monday, dropping highs into the mid-80 (with a slight chance of a shower) and the upper 70s by Tuesday.

I love the weather we get here in Nevada. But if you are a real severe weather geek, nothing beats some of the thunderstorms you can see if you take a trip across the country. While they are relatively common here, especially during the summer, Nevada thunderstorms rarely have the power and size of those in the plains states. Part of the reason lies in airmasses, and part lies in geography. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you wherein lies the difference.