Where it's snowing in Vegas right now, and other chilly scenes of summer - Los Angeles Times
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Where it’s snowing in Vegas right now, and other chilly scenes of summer

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It’s monsoon season in the Las Vegas desert, with triple-digit temperatures and enough humidity to make being outside downright miserable many afternoons.

The city averages 75 summer days a year when the thermometer reaches 100 or higher, according to the Weather Channel.

For those hours when a lounger beside the pool or an air-conditioned casino is no longer doing the trick, here are some tactics you can deploy — and enjoy.

Escape to the mountains

In summer, visitors to Lee Canyon, about 35 miles northwest of Vegas in the Spring Mountains, can hike or take a Onewheel on trails. At 8,500 feet, temperatures are at least 20 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley. (Joseph Thompson)

Lee Canyon, best known as a close-to-Vegas ski and snowboard destination, is open for business during the summer too.

It’s 35 miles northwest of the city in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.

At 8,500 feet, the temperatures here are generally 20 degrees to 25 degrees cooler than down in the Las Vegas Valley. Summer activities include archery, chairlift rides, disc golf and exploring the trails — with your own two feet or on a Onewheel motorized board.

Prices vary by activity. Pub grub and drinks are available at the Bristlecone Bar and Grill. The resort is open Fridays through Sundays and closes — until the snow falls — on Labor Day.

Info: Lee Canyon

Hoist a frosty in a glass made of ice

The desert’s countless Joshua trees never look as frigid as the one carved from a huge block of ice and displayed inside the Minus 5 bar at Grand Canal Shoppes. The lounge is kept at a constant minus 5 degrees Celsius. That’s 23 Fahrenheit. (Minus 5 Experience) (Minus 5 Experience)

Hoist an ice-cold beverage in a glass made of ice. A bar known as Minus 5 now has three locations along the Strip. The newest site opened last month at the Grand Canal Shoppes, inside the Venetian.

Guests wear parkas and gloves before entering the frigid lounges, where the temperature is kept at 23 degrees — that’s minus 5 degrees Celsius.

Everything from the bar to the Sin City-themed décor is carved from huge blocks of ice. Admission runs $22; for $42, you also get two cocktails. Children are welcome before 9 p.m., but anyone under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

Savor a refreshing ‘slushie,’ without wearing winter gear

The Frozé is a frozen cocktail made with rosé, vermouth and Limoncello. You’ll find one version at Giada. (Caesars Entertainment)

Savor a refreshing “slushie” without the winter gear.

A cocktail called the “Frozé” has made its way onto the Vegas scene. It’s pronounced “FROE-zay,” and rosé wine is a key ingredient.

At Giada, the culinary outpost of celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis that’s inside the Cromwell Las Vegas, the wine is blended with white vermouth and Limoncello using a custom-made machine.

It’ll cost you $17 per drink. Enjoy one while looking down on souls sweltering on the sidewalks below.

Info: Giada at Cromwell Las Vegas

Experience a Minnesota winter, for a few minutes

Snowflakes begin to fall from a nighttime sky as soon as clients at Qua Baths & Spa enter the Arctic Ice Room, created as the final stop for spa clients. (Caesars Entertainment)

Experience a Minnesota winter for a few minutes. It seldom snows in Vegas, but Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace invites people to relax in its Arctic Ice Room.

Snow begins falling as guests enter the refrigerated winter wonderland. It’s designed as the last stop for spa customers, a way to seal in oils and other products that have been applied to your skin.

You can buy a Guest Fitness Center Passport (without being a hotel guest) for $50 to $60 that gets you into the spa with the Arctic room and the fitness center.

Info: Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace

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