Weathercatch: Heat wave still hot news; plenty of summer ahead

We were told to brace ourselves for an “unprecedented” heat wave, and it sure lived up to its billing. Not only did numerous communities across Washington roast all-time records, but the state’s all-time heat record may have been broken.

The heat dome that caused the extreme heat weakened and shifted away from the Pacific Northwest. Yet its impact lingers as temperatures continue to run above normal for early July, although not as blistering hot as last week.

In Eastern Washington and North Idaho, the heat peaked on June 29 when all-time high temperature records were shattered in towns and cities that included:

•Spokane: 109 degrees, beating its 108 record set on Aug. 4, 1961, and July 26, 1928.

•Omak: 117 degrees, beating 112 only a day earlier.

•Walla Walla: 116 degrees, beating 114 in 1961.

•Wenatchee: 114 degrees, beating 109 in 2015.

•Tri-Cities: 114 degrees, beating 111 in 2015.

•Moses Lake: 114, beating 112 a day earlier.

•Yakima: 113, beating 109 a day earlier.

•Coeur d’Alene: 109 degrees, beating 104 a day earlier.

•Moscow-Pullman: 106, beating 105 in 2018.

What’s more, on the early morning of June 30, Spokane’s low temperature of 78 degrees was the hottest low ever recorded in Spokane.

The heat wave also obliterated all-time records west of the Cascades. Seattle hit 108 degrees for the first time in its recorded history on June 28. Records were also crushed in Olympia, Bellingham and Quillayute, also known as Forks. It is one of the rainiest locations in the United States, averaging 203 days of precipitation each year.

Keep in mind the gold standard for assessing a heat wave’s intensity is the magnitude of all-time records that are broken. These rare, often once-in-a-lifetime events historically occur in July and August, not in June. Another measure is how warm the temperature stays overnight.

As for a record for the entire state, two weather stations in Chelan County recorded 119-degree highs on June 29. If confirmed as accurate by the State Climate Extremes Committee, that number will beat Washington’s all-time high of 118 recorded east of the Tri-Cities on Aug. 5, 1961, according to the National Weather Service Spokane.

So it’s goodbye and good riddance to the June heat dome. But another one may be heading our way.

Weather models are showing initial signs of another dome forming – this one centered over the desert southwest that may expand northward into our region in the next seven to 10 days. Because it won’t be situated directly above us, conditions shouldn’t be as extreme as last week. Even so, it could get uncomfortably hot across the Inland Northwest.

While the weather is a little cooler Thursday, on Friday it’s back into the mid-90s. Temperatures may surge to triple digits on Saturday, with a “cooldown” on Sunday to the mid-90s.

And what about precipitation? The last notable rainfall in Spokane was of an 0.36 inch on June 15. None is in the forecast, and very arid conditions will persist.

Meanwhile, the drought deepens.

———

Nic Loyd is a meteorologist in Washington state. Linda Weiford is a writer in Moscow, Idaho, who’s also a weather geek. Contact: ldweiford@gmail.com