The National Weather Service has issued an “excessive heat warning” through Thursday at 6 p.m. Forecasters are predicting 90+ degree heat through the first half of the week, peaking as high as 98 degrees on Wednesday.
John Gilmore took this amazing photo at SeafoodFest yesterday as firefighters cooled off the crowd. (Copyrighted photo published with permission.)
We just stopped by the Ballard Fred Meyer and discovered plenty of big box fans still for sale for $22.99 each, but you can bet they won’t last long. There are also lots of air conditioners selling right now on Craigslist. So, what’s your strategy to keep cool during the heat wave?
‘Excessive heat warning’ issued for Seattle
I'm keeping cool by riding my bike to work.
Um.
I'm guessing that worked a lot better this morning than it will this evening.
So I guess I shouldn't have just run 12 miles? Seriously, anyone who thinks 90 is hot needs to get out and travel to just about any other part of the country! Cracks me up that the overnight low temperature in Phoenix is considered a dangerously high temperature in Seattle. Then again this is the same part of the country that had to completely shut down because they couldn't cope with a few inches of snow this past winter. I guess it's a good thing that weather that is considered mild in most other parts of the country is considered extreme here.
We have an oscillating fan that's sucking in cool air through an open window.
And by “cool air”, I mean that the outdoor air is actually cooler than the air in our apartment.
But really, all the fan does it blow around hot air. Checking the thermostat and thermometer last night around 9:00, it was actually 12 degrees cooler outside than it was in our place.
@SeaSpider:
You do realize that most other places that are excessively more hot than Seattle also have central air conditioning? I grew up in the deep South, and it was way more warm than Seattle… but we also could sleep in a cool house.
Phoenix vs Seattle is a completely unfair comparison. It's like comparing Houston, Texas's climate to Burlington, Vermont.
It's all a matter of perception. I've never lived in Phoenix, and am also not a summer person, so 90 is almost intolerably hot to me.
I once went to Las Vegas in July. Never again.
if possible, create a cross breeze and try to exhaust the air from inside rather than pull in from outdoors. If you can get a second fan to assist, that's even better.
we're fortunate to have decent cross breezes and are able to keep air moving and push the hot air out.
Great idea. Unfortunately, our 2nd oscillating fan met its maker recently. Just decided to stop working about 2 weeks before the heat hit.
Thanks a lot Cheap Fan From Target!
Frozen grapes and frozen wet cloths. Used in different ways, of course.
One of my cats has decided he's not leaving the bathtub. The other doesn't seem bothered at all.
I would recommend keeping yourself and your pets well hydrated.
90 is hot, relative to normal temperatures around here.
i spent a week in Dallas a few summers ago and we (i stayed with locals) spent our time in air conditioning whenever possible. My friends even said at one time while I was walking out to use their pool, “it's too hot to swim right now” as they refused to leave the AC.
I've never been in a house with AC in Seattle and with so little experience in dealing with the heat, houses stay hot and people feel the heat.
You need to remember too, that the folks in places like Phoenix are USED to the heat. Many people in Seattle are not, which is why its such a problem.
Not being used to the heat is a recipe for disaster when its like this outside. Unfortunately people tend to be “stupid” about it by not staying hydrated, leaving pets in cars etc.
Stay safe everyone!
The other thing about cheap fans is they sometimes go out in a “blaze of glory”, so it's not a good idea to leave them running when you're not home.
For folks out there who have a cool basement with a forced air furnace in it, what I do is open up the door to where the filter is, replace the filter with a piece of cardboard, leave the access door open, and turn on the fan.
The way it works is the cardboard blocks off the cold air return, so the fan draws cooler “basement” air in through the open door, and blows it out the vents, slightly cooling the house. We leave a couple windows cracked so the increase in pressure blows the heat out. We call it the “Seattle AC”
BTW this is an oil furnace I don't know if gas or electric furnaces are laid out the same way.
I have to laugh!…everytime someone in seattle complains about the weather, too hot or too cold, out come,s outr self-styled experts to let us know that back in my day…. you dont know what hot/cold is,etc.
In their haste to inform us they forget that 75 is a heat wave if it rarely gets above that year in and out.
I grew up in the deep south without airconditioning but have been here long enough to think 80 is damm hot!
If you want to play Rick Steves please do it elsewhere. I for one am not impressed!
I was just thinking about the heat here compared to other places this morning – besides the fact that they all have a/c, in a lot of places (such as where I used to live in California) if the landscape is desert-like, it often cools down a LOT more at night. I remember it being 100+ during the day, but that the temps would drop to 50 at night. And EVERYONE in California (or so it seemed) had a pool. We didn't, but so many of our neighbors did, we could always go for a swim.
Ummm…yeah I realize it because I grew up in Phoenix. Do you realize not everyone has the option of staying indoors, 24/7?? Some people actually work outside for a living, even in places like Phoenix where the temps can hit 120.
Trust me, you NEVER get used to it being 110+ degrees out. It's one of the main reasons I left Phoenix.
but to address your first point about “excessive heat”, this was issued by the National Weather Service and not the collective sighing and complaining of the locals.
in temps above 90 we are more prone to heat exhaustion and potentially stroke if proper precautions aren't taken. these warnings are issued to alert us to the upcoming conditions and to urge us to be prepared the best we can given our individual circumstances.
not all of us can be gods like you.
My favorite heat-related memory is going to see the Asylum Street Spankers play at the Tractor, and listening to them complain about the heat. They're from /Texas/.
Most people I know who have been in Seattle longer than 10 years seem to think that weather like this is some sort of freak thing. I think they're holding onto perceptions formed in a different time.
Nowadays it gets near or over 90 in Seattle for a couple weeks or so every year. Those couple of weeks are uncomfortable, but not buy-an-AC-unit-worthy, so we grin and bear it and gripe. It's part of the culture, and I find it kind of endearing.
For those with furnaces… check to see how to operate the “fan only” setting and get the air moving throughout your house. With the ductwork mainly in the much cooler basement, moving that air throughout the house really helps.
Depends. Phoenix doesn't cool down at night by very much because it's a valley and also covered in asphalt/concrete. I vividly remember overnight low temperatures of 105 degrees!
It's just that some of us think some Seattlites are a bunch of whining pansies who can't handle some real weather. They get all freaked out when it gets warm and you get all freaked out when it snows. Some of us find it pretty funny.
Window fans are awesome for this. We have one sucking in the air and another at the other end of the house blowing it out. Between that and setting our furnace to the “fan only” setting our house only got up to 75 degrees upstairs.
It also helps that I insulated the attic last summer and installed an attic exhaust fan. This is the third house in Seattle I've lived in where there was little to no insulation in the attic. I have to wonder if that's the norm around here and if so it would probably explain why so many people complain about it being hotter in their house than outside.
who is complaining? this is a post about the national weather service's warning regarding the upcoming heat wave and not some whining about how hot it is. In fact, if predictions hold true, this is to be an historic heat wave for the region with all-time records being shattered.
Heat waves actually are one of the most dangerous weather phenomenon around the world…many more people die from them then hurricanes, tornadoes, and windstorms. Long heat waves, like this one allow for a compounded problem as buildings continue to heat up day after day.
Since you're in such tip-top shape, i hope to see you zipping around helping those who are more prone complications due to this weather.
My strategy is to sweat.
The dog's strategy is to pant.
Las Vegas certainly didn't cool off at night when I was there. Standing in a taxi line after a show in the middle of July. I almost passed out.
Which is why I'm so glad I don't live in Las Vegas or Phoenix. :-)
You both need more water. :-)
For those of you not used to this weather or those who have to work outside do take a moment to know the signs of heat exhaustion. Most common signs are:
– Dizziness
– Nausea
– Skin that's cool to the touch
– Headache
– Cramps
– Fatigue
Heat exhaustion often goes hand in hand with dehydration but you can be fully hydrated and still fall over from heat exhaustion and even die from heat stroke. A good way to check if you're hydrated is to look at the color of your urine. Ideally, it will be clear. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are. Also don't rely on your thirst to keep you hydrated. Chances are if you're really thirsty then you're already dehydrated.
If you start showing signs of heat exhaustion find shade, lie down, elevate your feet, and pour some water over your head. Don't try to tough it out because you won't win. I used to teach desert survival in the military and we'd see plenty of people try to tough it out only to fall over moments later and require an IV from the medics. Yeah, I may have run 12 miles this morning but I also went through 64 ounces of electrolyte drink doing so and it's something I do twice a week so my body is used to it from slowly building up my mileage over many years (and trust me, I'm far, FAR from being an elite athlete by any measure!) I also went out of my way to stay in the shade as much as possible and carried a water bottle to pour over my head.
Ignoring the signs of heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke. Most common sign of heat stroke is loss of consciousness. Other signs include skin that becomes hot to the touch and is dry due to a cessation of sweating, very high and irregular heart rate, and a body temp of 104 or higher. Find anyone in this state and you need to call 911. It's called heat stroke for a reason!
Finally, don't forget your pets. Keep in mind cats and dogs can't sweat. Keep them in the shade and make sure they have constant access to water. Do NOT leave your pets or kids in your car even for a few minutes with the windows cracked.
I live in a basement. Unless I open the front door, I can't even tell if it is really hot out. The only time my apartment gets uncomfortable is if I am cooking or when I blow dry and straighten my hair.
Oh, you Cheeky Monkey! But speaking as a primate, I feel for the dogs. To make matters worse, mine is all black. I wonder if she thinks about people from Phoenix who complain about people from Seattle who complain about the heat. I wonder if she thinks about people from Afghanistan and Iraq, whose seasonal highs are much higher than anything we live with here. I also wonder if she thinks bear hunting dogs from Finland, think its odd when I put her in a coat after a massive snow. Than again, I wonder if she wonders that we don't get what heat is like cause were essentially bald, and don't have a black double coat, and are not limited to our gigantic tongues to keep us cool.
Now that’s what I call Tongue-and-Cheek!
Bow Wow Ballard Blog Bitchin on a Hot Summers Day!
Oh Crap, those symptoms are how I feel most days.
Hey, hot is hot…no matter what your definition is. It's hot outside.
We're camping out in the basement this week. It's at least 15 degress cooler down there.
I also visited Vegas in July for a wedding. When we got off the plane, it was 114.
You just disproved your own original post about people complaining about the heat here.
Maybe the same people are the ones who are working outside, and aren't used to these temps.
I doubt most people from your precious, hardcore Phoenix could hand months upon months of gloomy skies and consistent rain.
Yes, and people from Planet Krypton think we humans are a bunch of idiots cause we are not faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Well, enjoy summer in your polar fortress of solitude!
I'm staying cool with cold showers and homemade frozen margaritas.
Hey furnace people,
I would love to just turn the furnace blower on to circulate the air in the house but I can't figure it out. I have a programable thermostat that doesn't have a “fan” setting and there is a timer attached top the outside of the furnace. Any clues on how to override this set-up? p.s. the blower comes on at midnight every night and I don't know why.
Oh, I do miss living in a basement apartment. Now I'm 3 floors up with full sun exposure.
The spiders were a worthy trade for being cool in the summer.
i miss my basement apartment! sleeping under a down comforter while the rest of the city steamed. :)
I get a few spiders… more in the last week or so than in the last 10 months, but what is even stranger are the weird bugs like centipedes.
that is EXACTLY what I did last night :)
Screw that. I got a small A/C unit for my bedroom that has no way of getting a cross breeze. It's absolutely brilliant and worth the $100 I paid two years ago. At least I can sleep at night. hahaha
Probably not. Then again, that's why I moved here! I love it when it's overcast out and drizzling. You couldn't pay me enough to move back to Phoenix. It's a horrible place to live in the summer unless you actually enjoy being cooped up indoors 24/7.
Like I said in my original post, it's a sign of how good we have it here when people complain about weather that many other parts of the country would be grateful to have!
Another problem with Cheap Fans is they don't even buy tickets when you make the playoffs!
So let's quickly recap what 1 outspoken person posted:
-that seattlites are whining pansies. ( I personally am up in the air on this)
-talked tough
-grew up in Phoenix where it can hit 120 daytime, overnight of 105
-admitted he/people stay indoors 24/7 in the hot season.
-left phoenix because it is too hot. Doh!
note: I would have thought this person would be toughing out this mild warm spell. BUT NO…
-Using multiple window fans, added insulation in attic and installed attic exhaust fan. Thankful and bragging the upstairs is 75 degrees.
WOW! I come from a place where I walked to work uphill 20 miles EACH way carrying my tools. It was often 98 degrees with 95% humidity. That is brutal. Phoenix is a dry heat. I have visited phoenix and vegas and laugh how people may talk tough but they aren't jogging or golfing between 10 and 7. Those cities look like ghost towns middle of day. They get into their cool cars in a cool parking enclosure, drive with the air con on to another cool parking structure. And sleep with the air con on. I grew up and lived with much worse than what a seattle heat wave offers, but will readily admit it is uncomfortable.
I will be leaving now to lay in the sprinklers at the park on 22nd and 57th. I will be wearing my red speedo taking up the spot with the most shooting water. Tell your kids to be careful running as the oil slick from my sun protection will be slippery. Please refrain from telling me the sprinklers are for children only as you will not like my response. You should join us.
I will be toughing it out tonight, sleeping in the warm temps without the aid of air con, fans or insulation. And I will be reminiscing of home. Stay cool Ballardites.
I never complain when it is hot like this. I pay good money pretty much every winter to vacation in places where it is 90 degrees out.
I look at it like a free plane ticket. If I go down to my local bar after work, sit there and sweat with a stiff cocktail in my hand it'll be just like being on vacation. Actually a pool would be nice.
Hey, I'll cop to being a weather wussy! You bet! Born and raised here, and can NOT handle heat, especially with humidity!
Wus wus wus! Not ashamed of it!
I'll be getting up early and doing anything I need to do outside before noon!
Ba-dum-pum!
“Used in different ways, of course.”
HA! Glad I wasn't drinking when I read that. ;-)
One of the best birthday presents I ever got was my portable air conditioner. It vents through a dryer-type hose out the window and does a reasonable job of keeping my 530 square foot studio cool.
Ahhhhhh.
Yeah, leaving the airport was a real gasper.
Can you just program it to the lowest heat setting?
Ha!
Yeah, more bars should have pools. ;-)
We have no attic insulation, either….soon, I hope!
I'm never glad I'm not drinking.
Must have been hot two years ago – that's when we gave up and bought a small A/C unit for the bedroom as well!
Second that – it helps quite a bit.
Good reminder, SeaSpider – thank you.
definately a good use of city water….
A friend was putting in a new back porch for us last week. He suddenly got very dizzy, drank more water and had to lie down. We kept a close eye on him and didn't know if 911 would be needed. Thankfully he felt better after resting and rehydration. He is from Louisiana. When someone from there gets heat exhaustion in Ballard you know it is hot.
Be careful out there everybody, don't do heavy physical activity if you can avoid it, take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water, wear a hat. Oh and don't forget the sunscreen.
when i'm not working, i've been drinking cold beer. that helps.
also, gazpacho!!! sooo freaking refreshing and you can make it really fast – at least the prep time – then let it get really cold. yum.
Agree completely, it's an unfair comparison. I grew up in Arizona, and yes…it's hot…but it's also illegal for landlords to rent out an apartment that has no cooling.
And, as a desert rat, I still say this heat sucks.
I thought I was the only one who loves Gazpacho this time of year! Everyone else I've mentioned it to today looks at me like, “Gazpawhat?”
Best. Summer food. Ever.
I fully support your right to eat that nasty stuff.
;-)
It's hot. It's summer. Quit yer whining. It will pass (then you can go back to complaining about the rain/snow/sun/winds/clouds/whatever.)
Don't you know, Milo, that whining has been shown to raise one's pain tolerance? Well not whining, exactly. Swearing. But whining is really just swearing in milder language, isn't it?
Heat, snow, rain, smog – whine goes with everything!
You know, I have to agree with you. I just moved out here in January from Kansas, it's hot there, and I made fun of you Seattlites mercilessly when my boyfriend would talk about it being 80 degrees and SO HOT! To top it off, I spent many summers working in factories in Kansas where it was nothing for it to be nearing 130.
But then you get here. You acclimate. You realize there is no air conditioning. You spend the night with 4 fans in your bedroom pointed directly at you and are still too hot to sleep. Then you realize that being a Seattlite means you're not able to handle hot weather.
Everybody complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it…unless you live in a far better East/West coast city where they know how to *do* weather better than us yokels.
I've lived in Brooklyn and Albuquerque and I prefer Seattle's “extremes” any time of the year.
One of my favorite quotes of all time!!
According to Wikipedia, Charles Dudley Warner came up with it originally. It was later “quoted by Mark Twain in a lecture, and is often attributed to him.” (Twain, that is.)
Thanks for reminding me of it in this time of need. ;-)
*snort* THAT was the awesome. :)
So basically all the smarties just said F-it and got the A/C…and BOY are we glad we did. All my friends are threatening to come to my house…I think it may be time for an A/C party! :)
It's frosty cool in my bedroom and I frickin LOVE it.
You and the Italians with the cold beer! When I was there and complained about the heat they encouraged me to drink beer…but alcohol makes me warmer and flushed. Doesn't help. hahaha