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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Weathercatch: Exactly two years ago, Spokane baked at its hottest recorded temperature ever. Here’s how the dry ground made it even worse

Kelly Pearson and his stepgrandson, Tshone Williams, 7, take Cuddles the dog, 5, for a stroll on Tuesday near the corner of First Avenue and Hemlock Street. Cuddles had knee surgery three months ago and became depressed at home, Pearson said. The wagon rides are part of his recuperation. (DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Nic Loyd and Linda Weiford For The Spokesman-Review
Kelly Pearson and his stepgrandson, Tshone Williams, 7, take Cuddles the dog, 5, for a stroll on Tuesday near the corner of First Avenue and Hemlock Street. Cuddles had knee surgery three months ago and became depressed at home, Pearson said. The wagon rides are part of his recuperation. (DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

Two years ago Thursday, Spokane baked with the highest temperature recorded in the Lilac City.

The 109-degree reading at Spokane International Airport on June 29, 2021, was documented during a brutal heat wave that gripped the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern Canada for six straight days.

Even nighttime provided little relief. Spokane experienced two of its warmest nights in recorded history during this period, including a low of 78 degrees on June 30 – which happens to be the normal daytime high.

The heat wave was striking for its intensity, geographical range and persistence. Multiple records fell, from the small town of Lytton, British Columbia, to Portland, Seattle, Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.

Ultimately, the heat killed more than 100 people in Washington state, according to the Washington State Department of Health – 17 in Spokane County.

It’s well-known that the main driver was a sprawling ridge of high pressure, colloquially called a heat dome, that stalled over the region. The historic dome trapped heat, dissipated clouds and deflected cooling weather patterns around it. The heat was magnified by the long daylight hours of late June, when the high summer sun is also at a direct angle to the Northern Hemisphere.

But recent research also points to western North America’s drought-stricken landscape as amplifying the heat wave’s severity. With little moisture in the ground that summer, dried-out soils heated the ground, which heated the air above it to create a feedback loop, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. The team of scientists concluded that unusually dry conditions helped fuel the record-breaking heat.

Two years later, summer heat is climbing to above-normal levels again. Temperatures in the Spokane area are expected near the low 90s Thursday and persist through the Fourth of July on Tuesday. Should you find yourself withering in 91-degree heat, think back to what 109 degrees felt like. Comparatively speaking, late June into early July should be a piece of cake in 2023.

Nic Loyd is a meteorologist in Washington state. Linda Weiford is a writer in Moscow, Idaho, who’s also a weather geek.