Since 1881, when the National Weather Service began observing temperatures in Spokane, the mercury has topped 100 degrees five times in June. If the forecast holds, Spokane will double that number by Wednesday.
WASHINGTON – Gov. Jay Inslee’s office said Monday he will participate in a meeting President Joe Biden is convening Wednesday at the White House to discuss drought and wildfires with the leaders of Western states, as a record heat wave grips the Northwest.
Avista implemented “temporary unplanned power outages,” otherwise known as rolling blackouts, on Monday as temperatures reached a record-tying 105 degrees in Spokane and put a “strain on the electric system,” the utility said in a news release.
Spokane experienced a high of 105 degrees Monday, tying the record set in 2015 for the hottest June 28 in the city’s history, according to the National Weather Service.
With an unprecedented and dangerous heat wave gripping the Pacific Northwest, officials in Portland, Oregon, shut down light rail and street cars due to high temperatures, districts halted summer school bus service and people braced for possibly the hottest day of the scorcher.
A fire burning Tuesday near Priest River was at 35% containment as of Saturday afternoon, while two blazes in Washington have reached full containment.
