It’s hot, and getting hotter
Published 7:52 pm Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Temperatures that crept into the 90s Monday may just be a warm-up to what’s ahead.
By 1 p.m. Monday, Rebecca Swain and her children, Harrison, 3, and Gracie, 1, left their shadeless home at Smokey Point for cooler environs. They stopped first at Forest Park in Everett, but decided it was too crowded, so they made a beeline to the Mukilteo beach front.
“Our house was so hot we couldn’t take it any more,” Swain said. “Last night Harrison was complaining that it was too hot to sleep. I’m sure tonight will be more of the same.”
There was plenty of company at the city park in Mukilteo as some beachgoers huddled beneath umbrellas while others waded into the water.
Cathy Fowers of Monroe took a dip with her 5-year-old niece, Chloe Cales, of Lake Stevens.
“It was 90 when we left Monroe, and that was at noon,” Fowers said. “It’s so much better here.”
Forecasters are predicting highs in some parts of eastern Snohomish County could approach 100 degrees by Wednesday before cooling off later in the week.
The heat and dry conditions led to smog-related health warnings across the Puget Sound and pleas from local fire departments to be aware of the danger of brush fires and river currents. The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued advisories for heat and air stagnation through Thursday.
Monday temperatures at Paine Field climbed to 88 degrees, while highs in Arlington topped 90, meteorologist Mike McFarland said.
The National Weather Service in Seattle predicts Wednesday will be the hottest day of the week in Snohomish County, particularly in areas east of I-5, such as Granite Falls and Monroe. The temperatures are about 20 degrees higher than normal.
“Some places could approach triple digits,” said meteorologist Johnny Burg.
Toasty times mean Swain and her children will continue looking for respite from the heat and drinking lots of water and juices. Until it cools, dinners won’t be coming off the stove top, either. Turkey sandwiches top the family’s menu.
“We’ll pretty much find some water every day,” Swain said.
Swain is hoping it cools down before the weekend when she is planning to get married in an outdoor ceremony before heading into an air-conditioned reception.
The heat could mean more comfy clothes for her fiance, Ryan Wear, she said.
“He refuses to wear a suit in the 90s,” she said.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
What’s your hot weather story? Call Reporter Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446 or e-mail newstips@heraldnet.com.
