It’s expected to stay hot through Thursday.
Forecasters said temperatures would reach a peak this week on Tuesday around much of the Pacific Northwest, and Seattle meteorologist said sweltering temperatures will continue on the North Olympic Peninsula today and Thursday.
On Tuesday, temperatures across the Peninsula ranged from the low 70s in Clallam Bay to the mid-80s in Port Angeles and Port Townsend and a high of 95 in Quilcene.
“Though today was predicted to be the hot one in the Olympic region, Wednesday and Thursday are set to be in the high 80s and low 90s, then cooling off on Friday,” said Kirby Cook, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, Tuesday afternoon.
Coastal areas are expected to remain relatively cool with highs in the low 80s, Cook said.
“The concerning part is the evening lows,” she said. “With heat like this, the evening lows will be in the mid-60s, which makes it hard to cool down our homes.
“Many of us live in homes where there’s really no air conditioning. In fact, most homes are built to trap heat because it gets so cold, so when we have these hot days, we rely on the cool weather at night, but when it doesn’t cool down at night, it makes it a bit more difficult to find relief,” Cook said.
The National Weather Service forecasted that the “northwestern U.S. can also expect anomalously hot conditions, with another section of excessive heat warnings and heat advisories.”
It also noted that some daily records could be set, with temperatures possibly soaring into the triple digits.
Temperatures on Tuesday reached above 90 degrees in Seattle and well over 100 in parts of eastern Washington.
Jefferson County has five active shelters that are open at select hours that began Tuesday and will extend through Thursday.
The Tri-Area Community Center in Chimacum is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Quilcene Community Center hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Brinnon Visitors Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Port Townsend Senior Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The city of Port Angeles does not currently plan to activate any cooling centers, but officials encourage people, particularly young children and the elderly, to stay indoors if possible or practice extra caution when out in the sun, including staying hydrated and checking on neighbors without indoor cooling systems.
________
Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com.
Six-year-old Owen Knutson of Port Angeles, left, pretends he’s a “seaweed monster” as his brother, Henning Knutson, 8, looks on during a warm Tuesday on the beach at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
