Extreme heat forces flight cancellations in Southwestern US
LAS VEGAS _ Dozens of flights have been delayed and canceled out of Phoenix Sky Harbor on Tuesday as the city _ and much of the region _ withers under another day of excessively hot temperatures.
The National Weather Service reported that Phoenix is expected to hit 120 degrees by late Tuesday afternoon. That would be two degrees shy of the all-time hottest recorded temperature in Phoenix set in 1990.
Las Vegas is also expected to tie its all-time hottest mark of 117 degrees. That hasn't happened since 2013, and it would be only the third time the city has reached that temperature.
National Weather Service meteorologist Kate Guillet said the temperatures are expected to remain hot through the rest of the week _ though Tuesday should be the peak day for heat.
American Airlines said seven flights had been delayed out of Phoenix due to the heat and 43 regional flights have been canceled Tuesday.
The airline said the Bombardier CRJ regional aircraft can operate under a maximum temperature of 118 degrees. Those are largely the American Eagle flights operated by Mesa and SkyWest that have 90 departures and 90 arrivals daily.
There were four heat-related delays out of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Monday, but none had been reported for Tuesday.
_Los Angeles Times
