What's the Best Time of Year To Visit Las Vegas?

We returned from our trip to Las Vegas and we were very surprised how cold it was in late October. The weather reports said that it was an anomaly -- 20 to 25 degrees lower than normal, with higher winds than normal affecting the wind chill. Too hot in the summer, kind of cold in the winter, and cold in October? What time of year is best for there to be no weather surprises?

For our money, the best month of the year in Las Vegas is May.

March is fickle. Temperatures are noticeably warmer than the chilly days and cold nights of February, which has a mean temperature of 56 degrees, an average maximum of 69 degrees, and an average minimum of 42. In March, it can rain on occasion and the winds, always a concern in Las Vegas, can be high. Many of the pools are still closed in March and you’re wise to bring a jacket for the inevitable cold snaps and cool evenings.

In April, the winds tend to subside and the weather is milder than March. The mean temperature in April is a comfortable 64 degrees, especially when the sun is shining; the average maximum is 78, which means temperatures can rise into the 80s, while the average minimum is 50. Most of the pools are open. You should still bring a sweater or light jacket, just in case it gets cold in the evening.

May is just about perfect weather, with a mean temperature of 74 degrees, an average max of 88 and an average minimum of 60. This is Las Vegas at its best, the potentially cool days behind us and the sizzling heat of the summer still ahead. Hot weather can arrive with a vengeance at the end of the month, so mid-May, the second and third weeks, is best.

Summers in Las Vegas, as everyone knows, are hot Hot HOT! And dry. June’s average-max temperature is 99, July’s is 105, and August’s is 102. The sun makes it feel even hotter. As for clothing, the skimpier the better; best is to peel off your skin and sit in your bones. Cyclonic storm fronts in summer, which can drop an inch of rain in an hour, are carried in by ferocious winds that have been known to shift all the sand from the west side of town to the east. And vice versa.

By September, the mean temperature is down to 80, though the average high is still up there at 95 degrees. But the evenings are balmy, with an average minimum of 65, the pools are open, and there’s little to no chance you’ll need a sweater or jacket -- except maybe in the casinos, which get colder as the ambient temperatures get hotter.

In our opinion, the last week in September and the first week in October are a close second to mid-May for the best time to visit, weather-wise.

What's the best time of year to visit Las Vegas?

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Comments

Kevin Lewis Feb-02-2020

I'd modify that a bit

As a frequent visitor and sometime resident, I can definitively say that May used to be a nice time to visit but now, not so much. It used to be that the first 100-degree day would just about coincide with Memorial Day. Now, it comes in late April. Likewise, October used to be reliably mild. Now, it's the end of October before it starts to really cool down.

Due to that nonexistent liberal hoax climate change stuff, the warmer seasons last longer now--everywhere. That change is more observable in Vegas than almost anywhere else. Given that if you're sane, you want to avoid summer, the entirety of May-October is best avoided.

Ray Feb-02-2020

depends on your starting point

Having been to Vegas many times over the last 50 years, and at all times of the year after my parents moved there when Dad retired, I can say that no matter when we came, we liked the weather better than Chicago. 110 in LV is less oppressive than 89 with 80% humidity. The months you recommend are coincidentally the mildest months here, too. So everything is a matter of degree since the best times in Vegas are the best times at home, too.

rokgpsman Feb-02-2020

Vegas visits

I could be in the minority on this but I like visiting Las Vegas in July and August. Things are a lot less crowded with fewer tourists and conventions and rental car rates are usually lower because of the excess cars. I spend most of the time inside anyway, at the casino or shows or sightseeing indoors and they keep those places really cool. When I'm downtown walking between casinos I'm under the Fremont St canopy and that offers shade. So yes it's hot outdoors but I'm enjoying myself so it's no big deal, carry a water bottle and sip on it regularly. I've also been there in May and Sept a few times and that's a good time with friends at the pool, can stay out longer without getting so zapped by the sun. When someone asks me the best time to visit Vegas I tell them "Anytime, let's plan a trip!". No matter what time of year it is I can always find an easy way to have a good time doing something.

O2bnVegas Feb-02-2020

the kid tsunami

Early May, before school lets out for the summer.  Mid September  to early October for same reason. 

Why parents are determined to bring their children to Las Vegas (or any casino environment) is beyond me.  

I'm sure the casinos love it...succession planning.  The pool of younger gamblers available just in time to replace the fading oldsters.  JMHO.

Carl LaFong Feb-02-2020

Climate in May

Kevin... is it the "liberal hoax" (your words) that is nonexistent or is it that climate change itself is nonexistent? If it's not climate change that is making the warmer seasons longer, what is it? 6/5 blackjack?

Bud Ackley Feb-02-2020

@Carl LaFong

You must be new here.

Kevin Lewis Feb-02-2020

The kid tsunami!

Candy, I concur--I think the casinos are actively planning to turn the next generation into hardcore gamblers. Have you ever been in one of those kids' video game areas in the casinos? Half the games are basically pseudo-slot machines. Training modules!

As the Jesuits used to say, "Give me the child, and I'll give you the man." The little nippers will listen in fascination when you tell them of the days when there were no resort fees and blackjacks paid 3:2.

Eric Forman Feb-02-2020

Give me August

I like late August. Some kids have already gone back to school, so that's not an issue. I'm from SoCal and it can hit the mid 110s where I live in the San Fernando Valley, so the heat is not big deal for me. I'll get out to the pool at 9am and stay until lunch time, just relaxing.

Carl LaFong Feb-02-2020

Bud A.

Not new at all... just a long-time reader seeking clarification. Posts that are all foam and no beer can be confusing to the masses.

Pat Roach Feb-03-2020

Two comments

1. Carl, Kevin's "climate change" remark is sarcasm.

2. In April 1968 (circa), I was in town for the PGA's "Tournament of Champions."  I was dressed for mild April weather.  Unfortunately, the temp. was in the forties and the wind in the twenties.  After about an hour, I was chilled to the bone, left the golf course, and headed back to my casino hotel!

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