Spokane airport sets daily record for heat

Spokane has set a high temperature record for June 8 with the thermometer rising to 96 degrees. The previous daily record was 91 degrees in 1931. National Weather Service forecasters said the temperature was expected to reach 97 to 98 degrees in the Spokane urban core. Spokane International Airport, where official weather measurements are taken, recorded a 96-degree high between 4 and 5 p.m. The relative humidity dropped to a very dry 12 percent at 4 p.m. Felts Field in East Spokane went to 97 degrees; Coeur d’Alene saw 91 at the airport there. Deer Park had 94. Moses Lake saw 101. Forecasters said three more hot days are in store for this week. Tuesday’s daily record in Spokane is 93. Highs of about 94 downtown and 92 at the airport are being forecast for Tuesday with continued highs in the lower 90s on Wednesday and Thursday. Moderating temperature are not expected until Friday when a weak system is expected to bring cooler ocean air across the Cascades. Highs on Friday through the weekend should be near 80. Elsewhere, triple-digit heat combined with gusty wind caused the weather service to issue “red flag” fire danger warnings for portions of the Cascades, Kittitas Valley and south-central Washington. Areas in northern Oregon were also placed under red flag warnings.