Spokane reaches 80 degrees for the first time this year

The temperature in Spokane hit 80 degrees Wednesday afternoon for the first time this year – tying the record for the latest 80-degree day since records were first recorded in 1881.

The previous record was June 22, 2011, said Robin Fox, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Spokane. On average, temperatures in Spokane usually break 80 degrees by mid-May, Fox said.

At this time last year, temperatures reached 92 degrees as the record-breaking heat wave crept into the Pacific Northwest. Spokane broke its record for the hottest temperature recorded at 109 degrees last June. The city hit 80 for the first time last year on May 6.

As usual, the weather is expected to be hot and sunny for Hoopfest weekend.

Although the next few days are expected to be a bit cooler, temperatures above 80 degrees will return this weekend, with highs on Saturday and Sunday forecast in the mid- to high 80s.

Fox said the record comes with a caveat, since the weather service used to take its official measurements at a lower elevation than the Spokane International Airport. A few hundred feet in elevation could mean a difference of a couple of degrees, since lower elevations are usually hotter.

“We’ll likely have to adjust a little since we’re not used to 80-degree weather,” Fox said.

Spokane does have a chance at reaching 90 degrees on Monday, with the National Weather Service Spokane forecasting a high of 92 . Ninety-degree temperatures arrive by June 19 on average, with the record for the latest 90-degree day being July 21.