Climate Talks

Las Vegas has experienced one of the highest average daily temperature increases of any city in the United States in the last few decades - only surpassed by Reno. Average nighttime temperatures have risen nearly 8°F since the 1950s, and even more when you look at the full historical record. This has fundamentally changed the ecology of the valley. The urban heat island created by our modern civilization complicates this further. Understand what is happening, why, and what you can do to adapt and mitigate the risk.

• Chill Hours and Fruit Trees. Why did your peach tree stop producing? It’s not you—it’s the mild winters. Las Vegas has lost 44% of its winter chill hours since 1970. Many fruit trees need a minimum number of cold hours each winter to set fruit. As Las Vegas winters have warmed, many popular varieties no longer get enough cold weather over the…