Even for Las Vegas, it's too hot

The city set a new all-time heat record of 120 degrees on July 7. On Wednesday, the city broke its previous streak set in 2005 of four consecutive days at or above 115 degrees, before breaking it again on Thursday and possibly again on Friday.Extreme heat has gripped much of the western United States this week, with around 42 million people under heat alerts Friday across the region and into the Rocky Mountains and southeast Texas. At least 38 people are suspected to have died in six states as a result of heat-related illnesses.

“I’ve lived here in southern Nevada, in Las Vegas, for 18 years, and it’s definitely hotter this year than it has been in the past,” said Krishell Hadsell, a social service manager for Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas, Boulder City, Henderson and neighboring towns.

Hadsell oversees more than 40 cooling centers that are currently operating in Clark County. These facilities, which range from libraries to churches to recreation centers, are air-conditioned havens that provide shelter for people during the hottest times of the day.

As temperatures in Las Vegas spiked to record highs, the heat has affected people’s daily routines.

Scott Vivier, deputy fire chief at the Henderson Fire Department, said he and his wife have to do household chores and go grocery shopping early in the mornings to avoid the heat. By 9:30 a.m., he said, even being in the car is sometimes too much to bear.

“We’ve become creatures of the morning and the late night,” Vivier said.

The extreme heat forced the Neon Museum near downtown Las Vegas to temporarily close its doors multiple times this week.

“Due to an extended extreme heat advisory in the Las Vegas valley, The Neon Museum is delaying opening until 8:30 p.m.” officials said on the museum’s website Friday. The museum showcases some of the most iconic and historic neon signs in Las Vegas history in an outdoor “boneyard.”

Still, museumgoers are likely to find conditions stifling even in the evening hours. Overnight temperatures this week have hovered in the 90s.

The heat similarly forced officials in Henderson to close public pools early on Thursday and Friday.

“Due to the scorching temperatures, our inclement weather closure policy was triggered,” city officials said in a post on Facebook.