Living Local—Surviving and Even Enjoying a Long Hot Vegas Summer

Memorial Day is usually the start of the hot Vegas summer with Labor Day the other bookend. Temperatures typically go over 100 (and sometimes 110) degrees during the day and average about 75 in the evening. Due to the low humidity, 100 degrees in Vegas feels considerably cooler than elsewhere, but it’s still hot, dry heat or not.

This year has been a bit of anomaly. We’re enjoying more double the usual amount of rainfall (five inches so far) and the temperatures over the past week have been in the high 70s, but based on experience, that should change very soon.

I have my own way of dealing with Vegas heat, which its easier to live with than Cleveland winters (at least I can drive in it) and I asked about a dozen local residents about their hot-summer battleplan (aside from spending weeks somewhere cooler). Very informative and interesting feedback.

Not surprisingly, almost everyone suggested a visit to nearby mountains, specifically Mt. Charleston, where temperatures run 15 degrees cooler. Long-time columnist and Mt. Charleston resident John L. Smith said it best. “There’s no place better then Mount Charleston to beat the desert heat. The key is to pack a lunch and get off the road. Wear dirty shoes, plenty of sunscreen, and a hat. Pack a bottle of water. It’s a wonderful experience filled with tall pines and aspen, cool breezes, and a variety of wildlife. You can also go to the nearby Mt. Charleston Lodge for a monster hamburger or some above-average fish and chips.”

Of course, locals can’t go on a mountain excursion every day or even every week, so here’s a collection of other tips that we can work into everyday Vegas summer life.

Plan to make wherever you spend your day as cool as possible. For example, one reason I selected my office is that the window faces east (not west), plus it’s on the ground floor. Also, I can park my car in a covered space, both at home and the office. Speaking of cars, Bernard Kroviak, a retired fellow former Buckeye said, “Make sure you use the reflective windshield protector, as the seats can get a lot hotter than the temperatures outside.”

Jim McGlasson reminds us to stay hydrated with water and avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine. For meals find or make foods that don’t require much, if any, cooking.

Fill the daytime with indoor activities (working indoors, visiting museums or libraries, shopping at indoor malls, strolling through the large Strip hotels) or cooler outdoor activities such as swimming and golf. There are two large water parks in the valley: Wet & Wild and Cowabunga Bay. Most of us have everyday access to a swimming pool, either in our back yards or apartment/condo complex or a nearby public park (google “swimming pools near me”). The local casinos also have pool parties, but they can be quite pricey.

Several of my friends who golf mentioned that due to the grass, trees, and breeze, most golf courses are a bit cooler, or at least appear to be. There are also several indoor mini-golf parks in Las Vegas, which I’ve heard good things about, though I’ve never tried them.

Finally, there is this no-surprise suggestion from Adam Wiesberg, Assistant GM of the El Cortez: “Why not head downtown to check out the Mob Museum, which defines “cool” in several ways, then stop by the El Cortez for some 3-2 blackjack.”