Hot weather sticking around for a while

EPHRATA - Make sure the air conditioner is tuned up and break out the ice cream - the current heat wave isn't going away for at least a week, and maybe longer.

Thursday and Friday weather actually might not be so bad, according to the National Weather Service website. Thursday the thermometer should top out at 94 degrees, and 95 degrees Friday. But after that it's going to get blast-furnace hot, with a forecast high of 101 degrees by Sunday, 103 degrees on Wednesday.

What happens after that is harder to predict, Jeremy Wolf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, said, but it's looking like above-average temperatures through the end of next week.

Average temperature for mid-July is about 90 degrees, Wolf said. What forecasters don't know is whether or not next week is going to be in the 95-degree range or the 100-degree range, he said.

The culprit is "persistent high pressure" that's built in over eastern Washington, all the way to northern British Columbia, he said. Things get murky after the end of July, he said. But through the end of the month the trend is toward above-average temperatures, especially through the first half, he said.

"It's a little unusual as far as the extended hot spell," he said.

There are various ways to try to beat the heat; the aforementioned ice cream, frozen yogurt, sleeveless shirts, making a reservation at the pool. Aaron Harberg and Orion Kanopik, of Orting, were hanging out at Ephrata's Splash Zone, and Aaron's mom said it was a good place to be on a hot day.

Tom Bartunek, of Moses Lake, cools off with daily laps at the Splash Zone during his lunch break. (Bartunek is the court reporter in Grant County Superior Court, he said.) It's not just to stay cool. "Exercise," he said. One of the side benefits has been a fatter wallet, since he's been packing a lunch from home, he said.

Jeremy Vasquez and his daughter Addison were hanging around after swim lessons, keeping cool in the pool. Lacie Sieverkropp and her son Cash hit the pool soon after the doors opened.

When it's really hot, it's a good idea to stay indoors, according to the Washington Department of Health website. People should drink plenty of fluids, but avoid beverages with alcohol or a lot of sugar. Pets should have plenty of water, the DOH website said.

Babies and senior citizens need extra attention, and the DOH recommends checking frequently on elderly neighbors, friends and family.