Time for AC?

MOSES LAKE — All of a sudden, serious summer is supposed to show up, just in time for the weekend. 

Jeremy Wolf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said temperatures in the Columbia Basin will warm up fast as the weekend approaches. Wednesday’s high is forecast to be 77 degrees. 

“We’ve got high temperatures on Friday getting up to around 90 (in the Basin). On Saturday we’ve got temperatures warming up into the mid-90s. And Saturday looks like it’s going to be the warmest day of the week,” Wolf said. 

The normal high temperature for Moses Lake on June 8 is 78 degrees, Wolf said, but an early June hot spell is not unusual.

“The record high temperature for Ephrata on Saturday is 102 (degrees),” Wolf said.

The winds of Monday afternoon are forecast to die down by tonight. Temperatures will start ramping up Thursday, with a forecast high of 85 degrees.

As is often the case in June, the hot spell is forecast to be more of a hot flash; Sunday’s high is projected to be 92 degrees, and temperatures should drop back into the 80s by June 10. 

“While it’s going to be cooling off after Saturday, that cooling is still relative as our normal highs are in the upper 70s,” Wolf said.

The warmer-than-normal temperatures may stick around for a few days.

“The longer range outlook does show temperatures potentially warming back up again by the middle to the end of next week, but there’s a fair amount of uncertainty that far out,” Wolf said.

Warmer than normal temperatures are a possibility through the middle of June, he said. But the atmospheric conditions that produce prolonged heat waves haven’t really started yet.

“We don’t get into our more prolonged heat until we get into July and August. In June we’re still susceptible to these weather systems that come in from the west that can give us a change in the weather,” he said. “June is kind of our transition season between spring and summer.”

The NWS forecast said people could be at increased risk for complications from the heat, mostly because it is warming up so fast and people aren’t used to it. The Washington Department of Health has recommendations to reduce the impact.

People should keep the blinds shut on windows that get the morning or afternoon sun, according to the DOH website. And people who don’t have a high tolerance for heat should stay in an air-conditioned environment.

Patients who are prescribed antihistamines, diuretics and some other medications should consult a physician about the effects of heat exposure. People who are older or are ill should make arrangements to be checked on a couple of times a day. 

People who are working outside should take frequent breaks and strenuous activities should be planned either early or late in the day when temperatures are cooler. Sunburn slows the skin’s ability to cool off, so people should wear sunscreen with a protection factor, according to the DOH website. 

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.