Warning Issued at Lake Mead as Temperatures Drop

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have advised people against boating on Lake Mead on Monday as a cold front plunges temperatures and ushers in gusty winds that bring an enhanced risk of danger to boaters.
Meteorologists issued the warning about strong winds on Sunday. A lake wind advisory is in place for the Las Vegas area, including the cities of Oatman, Bullhead City, Hoover Dam, Mohave Valley, and Laughlin, including Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. The advisory is in place until Monday night and south winds could gust up to 45 mph.
“Strong winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft,” the advisory said. “Waves of 2 to 4 feet can be expected.”
NWS meteorologist Morgan Stessman told Newsweek that sustained windspeeds of around 25 mph are expected, which can be dangerous for small crafts. The winds are the result of a low-pressure system pushing into the western U.S. currently centered over north central California.
Once the system clears the area, the winds will die down. Stessman said she expects winds on Tuesday to be “pretty light.”
In the meantime, the NWS office in Las Vegas advised boaters against recreating on the lakes’ waters in a post made on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday night.
“Gusty Winds & High Waves,” the post said. “South-southwest winds to 45 mph will pick up today & peak Monday. Resulting wave heights on Lake Mead & Lake Mohave: 2 – 4 ft. Reschedule lake plans. Secure loose items. If you insist on going to the lake, always wear a life jacket.”
On Monday, the office made another post alerting people that the air will feel cooler than normal in the Las Vegas area.
“Temperatures drop over 10 degrees below seasonal averages & will remain below-average through the week,” the office said.
Stessman told Newsweek that average highs this time of year are around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, with average lows dipping to the low 70s.
Highs in Las Vegas this week will remain in the low-80s. Low temperatures are forecast in the high 50s and low 60s.
The colder-than-normal weather comes as California experiences a plunge in temperatures and the first substantial snowfall of the year in Yosemite National Park, where several inches of snow was expected to accumulate through Monday as an early winter storm moved through the higher elevations.
The NWS Climate Prediction Center’s temperature outlook through September 22 shows that the western states with the highest risk of below-average temperatures in the next week include southern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and western Arizona. Temperatures across much of the United States are expected to be above normal.