Phoenix shattered its record for the day by at least 1 degree, hitting 118 late in the afternoon. The previous record of 117 was set in 1994.
Vegas needs to surpass 115 degrees to mark a historic heat day.
"It’s gonna be close,” said Andrew Gorelow of the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. “We just hit 114 and we’re still predicting 117 for today, tomorrow and Monday.”
Extreme heat is gripping most of the Southwest and California.
The forecast has prompted health warnings across the Las Vegas tourist mecca, including the cancellation of the Running with the Devil marathon in nearby Boulder City and stay-indoors warnings for the elderly.
On Friday, temperatures climbed to 115 degrees, tying the record for June 28 set in 1994, the National Weather Service told The Los Angeles Times.
In Las Vegas, Clark County Fire Department officials say that scores of people attending the Vans Warped Tour at the Silverton Casino on Friday afternoon were treated for heat-related problems.
Of those, 34 people were taken to local hospitals. Another seven were hospitalized after falling ill at other locations, authorities said.
So far, there have been no deaths reported.
This is a city where on the hottest days, residents can scorch their feet on hot sidewalks even at midnight and where letters bake and crinkle only after a few hours in outdoor mailboxes.
Authorities were taking no chances Saturday, warning people against leaving pets and children in cars and reminding pet owners not to leave animals outside without water.
The city has established numerous cooling stations for elderly and other low-income residents fearful of the cost of running air conditioners. And local destinations such as Lake Mead National Recreation Center Red Rock park have warned visitors against strenuous activities.
To keep pace with energy demands, the local power company, NV Energy, announced that it would use so-called peaking units, supplementary power stations that in just a few minutes can provide energy to cool more than 300,000 homes.
In Phoenix, people slid into the shade, jumped in a pool or sequestered themselves in air-conditioned homes to escape the outside furnace.
Based on the latest forecast, June will finish as the hottest on record for the Phoenix area, narrowly beating out June 2006, National Weather Service officials reported.
Still, the blazing temperatures this week haven’t dampened spirits. National Weather Service officials posted pictures showing a photo progression of an “NWS Phoenix Cookie Baking Experiment” in a car that started at noon Friday.
“They were probably done before 4:15, but yes, by then they were done. They tasted just like they were baked in an oven. More crispy than chewy! One of our forecasters ate them!” weather officials reported on the website.
Some in southern Arizona attempted to flee the heat by driving north to Flagstaff. It wasn’t that much cooler, but a conga line of cars backed up on Interstate 17 to get into town Saturday afternoon. By 2:30 p.m., it was already 91 in Flagstaff when temperatures are usually about 15 degrees lower this time of year, according to weather records.
Southwest bakes in 115 to 120-degree heat
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). A visitor to the Furnace Creek Vistitor Center walks by a digital thermometer in Death Vally National Park Friday, June 28, 2013 in Furnace Creek, Calif.
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson). Dan Kail, 67, of Pittsburg Pa., walks thru the sand dunes in Death Vally National Park Friday, June 28, 2013 near Stovepipe Wells, Calif.
(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson). Michael Jackson impersonator Juan Carlos Gomez drinks some water as he takes a break from posing for photos with tourists along The Strip, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas.
(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson). David Reyes, left, and Shavaar Hanes take a break from posing for photos with tourists as the Mario Brothers along The Strip, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A man died and another was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday afternoon in heat-aggravated incidents as a heat wave blistered this sunbaked city and elsewhere in the Southwest.
Forecasters said temperatures in Las Vegas shot up to 115 degrees on Saturday afternoon, two degrees short of the city's all-time record.
Phoenix hit 119 degrees by mid-afternoon, breaking the record for June 29 that was set in 1994. And large swaths of California sweltered under extreme heat warnings, which are expected to last into Tuesday night - and maybe even longer.
The forecast for Death Valley in California called for 128 degrees Saturday, but it was 3 degrees shy of that, according to unofficial reports from the National Weather Service. Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
Las Vegas fire and rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said paramedics responded to a home without air conditioning and found an elderly man dead. He said while the man had medical issues, paramedics thought the heat worsened his condition.
Paramedics said another elderly man suffered a heat stroke when the air conditioner in his car went out for several hours while he was on a long road trip. He stopped in Las Vegas, called 911 and was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
The heat wave has sent more than 40 other people to hospitals in Las Vegas since it arrived Friday, but no life-threatening injuries were reported.
"We will probably start to see a rise in calls Sunday and Monday as the event prolongs," Szymanski said in a statement. "People's bodies will be more agitated the longer the event lasts and people may require medical assistance."
The forecast for Death Valley called for 128 degrees, but temperatures topped at 125, according to unofficial reports from the National Weather Service. Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.
About 100 miles south in Baker, the temperature peaked at an unofficial 117 degrees in the road tripper's oasis in the Mojave Desert on Interstate 15. The strip of gas stations and restaurants between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is known by travelers for the giant thermometer that often notes temperatures in the triple digits.
Elsewhere in Southern California, Palm Springs peaked at 122 degrees while the mercury in Lancaster hit 111 - a record.
To make matters worse, National Weather Service meteorologists John Dumas said cooling ocean breezes haven't been traveling far enough inland overnight to fan the region's overheated valleys and deserts.
In Northern California, record-breaking temperatures were recorded in Sacramento, where the high was 107 degrees; Marysville, which sweltered in 109 degrees; and Stockton, which saw 106.
Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless and elderly people who can't afford to run their air conditioners. In Phoenix, Joe Arpaio, the famously hard-nosed sheriff who runs a tent jail, planned to distribute ice cream and cold towels to inmates this weekend.
Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol's search-and-rescue unit because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the last week in Arizona after falling victim to the brutal desert heat.
Temperatures are also expected to soar across Utah and into Wyoming and Idaho, with triple-digit heat forecast for the Boise area. Cities in Washington state that are better known for cool, rainy weather should break the 90s next week.
The heat was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Dogs were at risk of burning their paws on scorched pavement, and airlines kept close watch on the heat for fear that it could cause flights to be delayed.
Welcome to sunny HOT Las Vegas
If planning a vacation to Las Vegas, Nevada anytime soon you may want to visit Weather.com for a forecast. A major desert-located attraction worldwide, the 24 hour city is experiencing record high temperatures all week. For the weekend it’s even expected to reach 120 degrees.
If forecasts are right, the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding cities will be 118 degrees Celsius or higher as a heat wave sweeps the West and Midwest states. The dangerous highs will also be accompanied in some areas around Nevada by dry thunderstorms. These storms elevate the chance of brush & wildfires, which states like Colorado and California are already having deal with and depleted resources to fight.
With July 4th approaching, communities are already beginning to worry about the idea of shooting fireworks. Some may ban the explosives this year as it’s simply too dry and hot, adding much risk wherever fired. Its not until the 5th that many predict temperatures will begin to drop a little.
In Las Vegas, the all-time record high for July temperatures is only 117 degrees. It was set in 1942, only being matched again in 2005. If the 118 degree prediction is right, there will be a new all-time high set this month. Temperatures have been pushing around the 109 mark so far this month.
Experts recommend anyone driving through the deserts leaving out of Vegas should be well prepared. Carrying extra case(s) of water is definitely appropriate for good measure.
Many West Coast citizens will be enjoying beaches along the California coast line during this heat wave as the Pacific waters will be a welcomed treat.