How Hot Is Too Hot for the Tri-Cities? We Have Answers!

We could reach 110 by this weekend in the Columbia Basin which could be a record for us here in the Tri-Cities.

I got curious and I'm wondering if these temperatures are normal for this time of year and if we've hit any of the previous heat records set in the Tri-Cities. I had to go check the statistics.

Our normal temperatures for this time of the year are usually in the 90's so we are about 10 degrees higher than normal right now.

Our all-time record for July was 115 set on July 28th, 1939 for the Tri-Cities. Walla Walla's all-time high temperature was logged as 114 on August 4th, 1961

We still have a long away to go if we want to beat the all-time of 115 but we could beat one of our daily temperatures because we currently are only a few degrees off of beating those previous numbers.

The current records are 107 for Thursday and 108 for Friday. It is possible we could set some new records over the next few days.

Thanks to the Yakima Health District, here are a few tips to stay safe and cool over the next few days:

• Stay indoors and in an air-conditioned environment as much as possible
• Drink plenty of fluids. Water is best.
• Never leave any person or pet in a parked vehicle
• Limit sun exposure between 11 am-7 pm and try to plan outdoor activities for early or late in the day when temperatures are cooler
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunblock, and light-colored, loose-fitting clothes when outdoors
• If outdoors, do not wear a mask if you are able to stay at least 6 feet away from others
• Limit indoor/outdoor activities to members of your household only

Our good friend and Weather guru Mark Ingalls and his Tri-Cities Weather website have some great information on the hot weather and other records worth checking out.

You can check out his page here.