Forget about the cliche that summer in Southwest Washington starts July 5. The entire area will continue to be hotter than a firecracker again today, and it could be the weekend before daytime highs fall back into the 80s.
Monday’s high is again forecast to be 96 degrees, which was the same mark achieved Sunday, according to the National Weather Service’s monitoring station at Pearson Field. It was 81 degrees just before 1 p.m.
A heat advisory remains in effect, with forecasters and emergency responders reminding people to remain indoors, drink plenty of liquid and, if necessary, find a public place with air conditioning.
Too often, hot weather triggers accidents and fires.
Although there were no drownings reported over the weekend in Clark County, firefighters rescued a teenage boy who had slipped in the Lewis River, catching onto rocks before going over waterfalls at Lucia Falls. Rescuers used a ladder to reach the boy, who had no injuries.
Interstate 84 also had westbound lanes blocked near The Dalles, Ore. Sunday so that firefighters could fight a good sized grass fire near the interstate.
No major mayhem from the heat or the fireworks, which went on sale Friday, has been reported locally. But with the numbers on the thermometer climbing and dozens of fireworks complaints over the weekend, fire officials are warning residents of the danger that the combination can cause.
Vancouver Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Lines says that when fireworks are in the picture, parents should be supervising children. He also said that residents should have a way to extinguish any kind of sparks that get out of control.
“Around the Fourth, we usually get a few days of rain,” Lines said. However this week there is no sign of rain in sight, which means vegetation in the area will be dry, he said.
“Everybody should be cautious with the high temperatures the next couple days … it’s going to be really easy to catch fire,” he said.
No relief is in sight for several days. Tuesday is again forecast to be 96 degrees, though a northwest breeze of about 5 mph may provide a little cooling effect. The forecast for the holiday is mostly sunny with a high of 85 degrees.
In 108 years of record keeping for Vancouver, the average high temperature for July 1 is 76 degrees. The record for this day is 100 degrees, set in 1942.
