Most people are confused by desert weather in general and Las Vegas weather in particular. If you ever come here there are a few things you should know.

Desert refers to rainfall and humidity, not temperature. Antarctica is a desert!

Yes, Las Vegas is hot during the spring and summer–not all year long. Around Christmas the average daily high is in the mid-60s. December’s overnight lows are in the 30s. This past winter the temperature dipped to 28° one night!

Because desert air is dry there is a greater difference in daily high and low temperatures than more humid places.

If you come to Las Vegas in the winter prepared to laze at the pool you will be disappointed. The pools are closed!

Yesterday we hit 103°. The average high for June 4 is 95°.

It is dry. Right now the dew point is 24° and the relative humidity is just 8%. You feel that on your lips and in your throat. There’s no place where staying hydrated is more important than the desert!

As you walk around you’re likely to see misters blowing tiny droplets of water. As the water quickly evaporates it cools the air. The principle is the same as what happens to your skin when you get out of a pool, even on an otherwise hot day.

This desert is virtually cloud free most of the year. Las Vegas averages under 5% cloud cover from March through November. There are no clouds now, nor have I seen any since we arrived Friday.

The desert is windy. Flying in is often like riding a bull at the rodeo. The last half hour of our flight was like being on a paint shaker!

Wind gusts of 50+ mph are forecast in some mountain passes and more rural areas today. Here in the city it will ‘only’ gust into the mid-30s. There are Red Flag Warnings up for high fire danger. That’s pretty common.

Personally, the heat here doesn’t bother me. Actually, I enjoy it. It’s not the same as Connecticut where heat and humidity run in lockstep. As long as I’ve got a bottle of water I can walk long distances outside without any trouble.

Bring ChapStick!