Spokane ties 100-degree heat record Wednesday; gusting winds blow dust into region

Temperatures may have been slow to warm up this summer, but once it got hot, it stayed hot.

Spokane tied the record Wednesday for most days at 100 degrees or hotter in a single year.

There were six days when temperatures reached or climbed past 100 degrees in 2021, tying the record set in 1928.

It hit 100 degrees briefly at the Spokane International Airport at about 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. That made for a second year in a row of six days at 100.

By 4:30, it dropped back down to 99 degrees.

The temperature also tied the record for latest day of the year to reach 100 degrees in Spokane. The last time it reached 100 degrees on Aug. 31 was in 1967.

Despite tying the temperature record, it’s unlikely Spokane will break it, said Robin Fox, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Spokane.

“It is possible,” Fox said. “But it gets less frequent because our days are getting shorter and we don’t have enough time in the day to get up to that high of a temperature.”

Temperatures are forecast to drop Thursday, with a high of 93 and a slight breeze.

Friday, the high temperature is forecast just shy of 100 degrees.

“As we get into Saturday, we’re going to have a little more in the way of breezes,” Fox said of the holiday weekend.

There’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the mountains Saturday, with a high in the mid- to upper 80s.

Sunday is expected to be less windy, with temperatures creeping back up into the 90s, Fox said.

On Monday, temperatures are expected to dip back into the 80s and stay that way into the work week, Fox said.

While temperatures may not be record-breaking, it’s still important to be careful when out in the heat, Fox said.

“It’s still going to be hot as we get into the Labor Day weekend,” Fox said. “Remember to hydrate and avoid strenuous activities in the peak heat of the day.”

The record-setting heat was followed by gusting winds that in some areas hit 50 mph and blew dust into the Spokane region late Wednesday afternoon, spurring a hazard weather warning from the National Weather Service in Spokane.

Resident were advised of reduced visibility in some areas along, with downed tree limbs and other debris.