A one-day heat wave delivered near-record temperatures in Clark County on Tuesday, with Vancouver topping out at 98 degrees late in the afternoon.
It was the hottest day of 2014 so far, but not hot enough to set a record for the date. Vancouver hit 100 degrees on July 1, 1942, according to the National Weather Service in Portland.
Still, it was hot enough for dozens of people to cool off at the Esther Short Park fountains, including Vancouver resident Meredith Ronayne and her 14-month-old daughter Teagan.
It was Teagan’s first time playing in the water.
“I think she was a little shocked,” Ronayne said. As Teagan grew more comfortable and explored her corner of the fountain, Ronayne held her hand, occasionally snapping pictures.
Vancouver resident RoseMary Maurmann took advantage of the heat to bring her 8-year-old son Ian to the Esther Short Park fountains, which he hadn’t seen since he was 3, she said.
“This is a big surprise for him,” Maurmann said. “He was so excited.”
The heat came on quickly, passing 90 degrees before 1 p.m. at Pearson Field, where Vancouver’s official measurements are taken. The temperature had climbed to 98 before 5 p.m., before dropping back down to 95 by 6 p.m.
Easy come, easy go
The blast of heat is expected to be short-lived, according to the weather service. While an east wind pushed hot, dry air over the region Tuesday, a shifting pattern should bring cooler air from the west by Wednesday, said weather service meteorologist Matthew Cullen. Temperatures are expected to drop back into the 70s.
“We’ll be back to more normal for this time of year as we move through the week,” Cullen said.
Though it has come close, Vancouver hasn’t recorded a triple-digit temperature since Aug. 16, 2012. The city may get a few more chances this year, as some forecasts have called for a hotter-than-usual summer in the Northwest.
As for the rest of this week, Fourth of July celebrations (or Third, or Second) should stay dry across Clark County. The Friday holiday should be partly sunny with highs in the mid-70s, according to the weather service, before temperatures dip into the 50s overnight.
