Triple-digit heat expected to return this weekend in Spokane

Triple-digit temperatures are returning to Spokane.

Temperatures at or above 100 degrees are Saturday. It will be Spokane’s second heat wave with 100-degree temperatures this summer.

With no expectations of Spokane’s temperatures cooling down, “the end of July and the start of August are always the warmest part of the year,” National Weather Service meteorologist Miranda Cote said.

The normal high for late July in Spokane is in the upper 80s.

Monday was the 29th time this year that Spokane reached at least 90 degrees. In a normal year, that happens 19 times.

The forecast suggests Spokane will hit 90 each day at least through Sunday, putting the city only five 90-degree days from breaking the current record of 39 in 1958.

Spokane officially has reached 100 degrees four times this year. The record is six times in 1928.

This year’s earlier heat wave included the all-time hottest day on record in Spokane: 109 degrees on June 29.

Large amounts of smoke pollution from local wildfires continue to affect the air quality and precipitation throughout Eastern Washington. This means fewer sun rays are able to get past the layer of smoke produced by the fires; therefore, water can not evaporate.

This creates a “high pressure ridge that promotes hot weather and droughts,” Cote said.

With low likelihood of rain in the near future, high heat will continue to contribute to the instability in higher smoke levels and fire growth trends. Poor air quality and high heat are the perfect combination for a miserable working environment.

“It is hard for firefighters to contain and stop the fires in this heat,” Cote added.

The City of Spokane will open the Looff Caroussel in downtown Spokane as a cooling center from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the weekend . Residents can also stay cool in local libraries.

City spokesman Brian Coddington recommends residents “hydrate, check in with their neighbors, stay in the shade, and help provide resources for others if needed.”