Posted on 07/05/2007 10:36:05 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
A heat wave sizzling across the West showed little sign of letting up Thursday, with Las Vegas forecast to tie a record high and even northern Idaho expected to top 100 degrees.
"You can become dehydrated really quick before you know it. You step outside and, 'wow,'" said Charlie Schlott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas was expected to hit 116, which would tie a record for the date set in 1985. Near-record highs were also forecast for Southern California, where the mercury was expected to top 115 in desert.
A high of 101 was forecast Thursday in Spokane, Wash., and nearby Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which would exceed the record of 100 set in 1975. Friday's forecast didn't hold much relief from the nearly weeklong heat wave, either.
In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the opening of state cooling centers in 13 counties, and the operator of the statewide power grid ask Californians to try to conserve energy to avoid brownouts.
Forecasters expected near-record highs in San Diego and Riverside counties, where the mercury could reach triple-digits in some inland areas.
The high temperatures, combined with an extremely dry winter, also worried wildfire crews across the West.
Three firefighters suffered heat exhaustion while battling a 700-acre wildfire that broke out Wednesday northwest of Santa Barbara, said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Craig Vanderzwaag.
Moisture levels in some of the largest logs east of the Cascade Range have dropped to what typically is seen in the hottest days of August, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
"We're headed toward a long, hard fire season, the way it looks. The public needs to be prepared for it," said Steve Rawlings, fire management officer for the Colville National Forest in Washington. "We've slid into fire season without people making a big issue about it."
A heat wave will continue to grip much of the West Friday, while some afternoon thunderstorms are possible in the Southwest Friday July 6, 2007. More rain is likely in the Southeast, while the Northeast will see diminishing precipitation. (AP Photo/Weather Underground)
Hey Norm!
Not too hot here yet. High 90s yesterday.
Last year I put a little AC in a small room. It’s now our “cold room” in a heat wave. Nice.
ping
It’s 64 on the way to 77 and no rain. The smell of smoke has been in the air for a couple days and the sunlight is reddish, especially to the east. Minto Flats is usually on fire this time of year, but the smoke clouds to the east are where the multi-million acre fire of a few years ago left off. Could happen again and now.
Sounds good to me! We were in the hi 90s too, should get close to 100 here today,, I feel for folks that need AC and don’t have it, anything over 100 much less 120 degrees is bad news for most folks.. Cheers!
Glad to hear it. It’s the old feast or famine of late with weather it seems,, Texas amongst many states got flushed as well.
Sounds like a long summer ahead there as well.
from a couple days ago..
Alaska wildfire fight helped by rain
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/07/02/alaska_wildfire_fight_helped_by_rain/5988/
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 2 (UPI) — Wet weather has helped crews battling some Alaska wildfires but there was not enough rain to keep fire from edging into the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
A spokesman for the Alaska Division of Forestry said that crews have contained the Susitna River Fire near Trapper Lake and nearly tamed the more than 55,000-acre Caribou Hills Fire, The Anchorage Daily News reported Monday.
Crews were using bulldozers, chain saws and shovels to cut fire lines along the north edge of the Caribou fire where it was nudging into the wildlife refuge.
Kris Erickson of the state Division of Forestry said they’re using gentler, lower-impact tactics so as not to scar the wilderness.
What rain does: makes the fire generate more smoke.
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