Spokanites brace for impending heat wave set to break records

If weather patterns go as expected, Spokane’s upcoming heat wave will break records.

The National Weather Service anticipates the heat wave will present major and extreme heat risk in Spokane from Monday to Wednesday, with highs of 100, 103 and 104 degrees each of those days. From Thursday to the end of the week, the service’s forecast falls to more moderate temperatures with highs in the mid-90s.

The current highest day on record for July 8 was set in 1970 with a 99 -degree day. The hottest for July 9 was set in 1985 at 100 degrees and the July 10 record is 102 degrees from 1975, according to the service.

“When we’re in the major heat risk, it affects everyone who doesn’t have effective cooling or adequate hydration,” said weather service meteorologist Jeremy Wolf.

The service advises people to stay indoors in air conditioning, especially during the hottest parts of the day around 5 p.m. People should also avoid strenuous activities and wear light clothes outdoors, watching for cramps that could be a sign of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Spokanites become water-seeking creatures when the temperatures rise, finding refuge from the blazing sun in Spokane’s many aquatic features natural and man-made.

Sunday was the hottest day of the year so far, reaching 97 degrees at the Spokane International Airport. Riverfront Park was atypically quiet midday, the rides set up in front of the Pavilion for the Summer Carnival inactive as the heat pushed operators to delay opening until the afternoon. Much of the activity in the park was concentrated around the Rotary Fountain and Ice Age Floods splash pad at opposite ends of the park.

Sara Mjelde took her 7-year-old Aurora to cool off in the splash pad outside the Podium; they prefer to bask in the outdoors during heat events or stay home in their air conditioning.

“We played in the sprinkler and the kiddie pool yesterday and water balloons,” Mjelde said. “We’re gonna do the splash pad today, and we’re gonna hit up some ice cream – all the things to keep us cool.”

While bracing for the heat wave, the duo enjoy the warm weather and its novelty this year.

“It feels like we had nothing, nothing, nothing and boom,” Mjelde said.

Mjelde took care to slather on sunscreen and brought plenty of water to play downtown. After soaking on the splash pad, Aurora was excited to sink her spoon into a bowl of rainbow sherbet ice cream, her favorite flavor.

Also pleased at the recent turn of weather is Herta McGuire. Though she’d rather be on a beach somewhere, she and her husband Matt brought their visiting granddaughters Alexis and Mia Vazquez, 12 and 10, to the carnival.

“The winter’s too long sometimes, so I don’t complain about the heat, honestly,” McGuire said. “The winter will be coming and it will be long enough.”

The sisters from San Diego are excited by the Spokane sun, preferring the conditions to their coastal hometown that forecast a high of 77 degrees Sunday, 20 degrees lower than Spokane’s high.

“I think it’s really nice because it’s not like cold and I like the heat because then you can do really fun stuff,” Mia said.

The impending 100-plus degree temperatures are a little much for the pair, but mid-80s to low 90s is their temperature sweet spot, Alexis said.

While they’d prefer to bask in the salty air of an ocean beach, they enjoy cooling off in the waters of Spokane’s aquatic centers or kayaking on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

They also relish the green trees and grass in Spokane, which are harder to come by in San Diego.

“I’m more of an outdoor person, just protect yourself, put sunscreen on,” McGuire said.

Hot dog vendor Robert Hetnar, who operates the Spokane Dogs cart he parks on the corner of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Howard Street , is less enthusiastic about the sun.

“The biggest thing for beating the heat is you stay in the shade and you drink plenty of water,” Hetnar said. “That’s the solution. If you hang out in the sunlight, you are going to burn and have problems.”

It’s a solution he knows well, having for 13 years parked his cart strategically on a corner shaded by Boo Radley’s until the sun creeps around the building at around 3 p.m.

Much of the heat wave falls on Hetnar’s regular days off, Monday and Tuesday. He’ll either take a dip in Lake Coeur d’Alene or cash in on his season pass to Silverwood theme park.

On Wednesday, Hetner is typically open. The jury’s still out on whether or not he’ll take the day off this week, discouraged by the anticipated 104 -degree day but lured in again by heat wave business trends.

Hetnar estimates he sold around 30 dogs on Sunday, less than his typical 80-90 on any given day.

“Today would be one of the slowest days of my year,” Hetnar said, his hot dog hat bobbing as he spoke. “People aren’t hungry and don’t want to eat when they’re sweating.”

But they are thirsty, he’s found. Demand for bottled water skyrockets during heat waves.

“Water is popular today and I love selling water because it costs me a dime and I sell it for $2,” he laughed.

The heat wave is expected to blanket the western United States, most areas west of the Rocky Mountains are under heat advisories or warnings, Wolf said.

“It was a strong ridge of high pressure dominating the western United States,” Wolf said. “When we see that become established for several days, the atmosphere is getting warmer and warmer and that’s why we’re seeing these warming temperatures over the next couple days.”