# West Coasters: How are you doing in this heat wave? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084 "2021-06-26T21:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/21 "2021-06-27T04:54:05Z")
[Today’s Pearls before Swine.](https://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2021/06/26) Be safe folks. Extreme heat can kill, it happens here all the time and you folks aren’t used to this stuff so you need to be even more careful!!! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/22 "2021-06-27T05:02:54Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I remember driving between San Jose and Monterey fairly often. What’s a trip is how you can watch the temp gauge drop dramatically. In late August, I remember it went from about 95 in Cupertino, to about 105 in Gilroy and then it just drops constantly when you turn toward the coast. By the time you’re approaching Marina/Seaside it’s like 65. When I lived in San Francisco, I used to work in Dublin which is east of the east bay and near Pleasanton, and on the way to Livermore and Tracy. In the summers Dublin can get over 100. On my afternoon commute home to San Francisco, by motorcycle, I’d experience a 40 degree drop in temperature in about 45 minutes — from 105 down to 65. That’s a dramatic temperature drop, and especially so by motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/23 "2021-06-27T05:05:38Z")
Yep, I felt the same thing. Downtown SF is cold in summer – nobody who’s not been there can relate. Yet you can go an hour to Vacaville or Sacramento or Fresno, and it’s radically different climate. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/24 "2021-06-27T05:13:55Z")
> “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” > – _Mark Twain_ I grew up in the central valley and when we visited our grandparents in Albany in the summer, we put on our jackets as soon as we hit the Caldecott tunnel. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/25 "2021-06-27T05:40:54Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Lot’s of houses have a sunken half bottom floor, which means the windows are above ground, and those bottom floors are reasonably cool in the non AC homes. This is what my parents have, and they don’t have a huge southern exposure, plus there are some big trees nearby. I’m still worried. And my mom has low sodium levels, so she has to be careful to get enough salt if she’s drinking lots of liquids. They’ve done a lot of work on their house, and maybe adding AC is the next step, if they want to stay there. ETA: Also Seattle burbs. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/26 "2021-06-27T06:11:34Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > We only got air conditioning two years ago, because before that we could cool the house off at night and use fans so the heat would be bad for no more than an hour. But this didn’t work if the heat lasted for three days or more, which was happening more and more frequently. I understand that most people in Portland don’t have AC because they never needed it, which is bad. > > How are the temps at night? This is what we used to do, until there started being a much larger problem with wildfire smoke. Last summer, we literally had our windows sealed up with tape because of the hazardous air quality, while we sweltered. This winter, we had a heat pump installed. I’m super grateful for it. 105° today, 114° predicted for tomorrow and Monday. Overnight lows tonight and the next night or two are about 20° higher than the temps where the fans at night work well. (70s rather than 50s overnight) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/27 "2021-06-27T06:25:23Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > IMHO there is a HUGE difference between 100F and 115F. Amen, and there’s a similar difference between 115 and 118. I think it’s exponential. When people ask what it’s like at 118 I tell them, "It’s like when you open the oven door to check on baking cookies and the heat rolls out and hits you in the face only _it doesn’t stop._ ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/28 "2021-06-27T06:29:54Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > I grew up in the central valley and when we visited our grandparents in Albany in the summer, we put on our jackets as soon as we hit the Caldecott tunnel. It’s warmer in South Bay than the City yet it still cools down after dark. I lived in San Jose for years and if I was out after sunset I always carried a jacket with me and was glad to have it. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/29 "2021-06-27T06:41:19Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Lot’s of houses have a sunken half bottom floor, which means the windows are above ground, and those bottom floors are reasonably cool in the non AC homes. People sleep down there are the few days a year the temperature gets towards 100F. That’s what my parents have (Seattle suburbs) - so that’s where my dog is staying until Tuesday (at least). They don’t have AC. It’s just not been a thing - but they’re beginning to consider it. I’m relatively fine until the mid-90s. Until this morning, I’ve never even owned a fan. This is horrible…last year at this time, it was in the high-60s/low-70s. 100+ is not what I signed up for. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/30 "2021-06-27T07:04:12Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > When I lived in San Francisco, I used to work in Dublin which is east of the east bay and near Pleasanton, and on the way to Livermore and Tracy. In the summers Dublin can get over 100. When my daughter rode we’d go to her barn on 680 over the Sunol Grade. Incredible difference in temperatures there, even more when I went to Pleasanton for the library. When we looked for house the realtors explained to us about microclimates. Even 25 years ago it was hot in Sacremento and Folsom. I worked with people there, and on conference calls they complained about the heat all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/31 "2021-06-27T09:13:03Z")
Ah, the _other_ Dublin! [Xkcd](https://xkcd.com/2480/) has forgotten that one, it seems. Just for reference, from halfway across the world: we are having several heat records broken in the most unlikely places in Europe. Still June and very, very hot. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/32 "2021-06-27T16:57:12Z")
Re Portland and Seattle: how humid is it with this heat? My last place I lived you’d get 110 but it was very low humidity. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/33 "2021-06-27T17:49:49Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Re Portland and Seattle: how humid is it with this heat? Current dew point in Portland is 65 degrees (though it’s predicted to fall a bit later today); in Seattle, it’s 63 degrees. That’s a humidity level that’d be noticeably humid for most people, though if the dew point were a bit higher (high 60s or low 70s), it’d likely start to feel oppressively humid. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/34 "2021-06-27T18:20:44Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > When we looked for house the realtors explained to us about microclimates. Yeah, instead of the midwestern meme – _If you don’t like the weather wait five minutes_ – in the Bay Area it’s _If you don’t like the weather walk five blocks._ ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/35 "2021-06-27T18:22:52Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Amen, and there’s a similar difference between 115 and 118. I think it’s exponential. You are so right. Its really hard to explain to people who haven’t experienced it. I am very worried about heat deaths. Arizona homeless die from the heat on a regular basis and they have some idea how to deal with it. I doubt there are cooling stations in Portland, the homeless shelters in Washington probably aren’t air conditioned either. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/36 "2021-06-27T18:27:20Z")
Portland update-it is supposed to hit 114 today and 117 tomorrow. The air conditioner broke, so we are down to a swamp cooler(like we need more humidity) and a box fan. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/37 "2021-06-27T18:52:28Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Re Portland and Seattle: how humid is it with this heat? My last place I lived you’d get 110 but it was very low humidity. It’s not oppressively humid, but I do feel sticky. Also, I’m much more sympathetic to the maskholes in the south - at 80, masks are ok. at 85, they’re annoying. at 95 they’re hellish. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/38 "2021-06-27T19:00:42Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I am very worried about heat deaths. Arizona homeless die from the heat on a regular basis and they have some idea how to deal with it. I doubt there are cooling stations in Portland, the homeless shelters in Washington probably aren’t air conditioned either. We had a [bad heat wave here in Chicago in July, 1995](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave), though we topped out at “only” 106F. Nonetheless, hundreds of people in the area died from the heat, mostly poor elderly people who did not have air conditioning, and did not feel safe opening up their windows or sleeping outside, due to fear of crime. So, I’m definitely concerned about what’s going to happen in the PNW these next few days. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/39 "2021-06-27T20:27:52Z")
I am close to the beach in NW Oregon. The Pacific Ocean is just over that next hill. Normally the cool Pacific moderates the temperature. It is now 98 degrees, at 1:30pm, and it isn’t the hottest part of the day yet. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/40 "2021-06-27T21:50:05Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I doubt there are cooling stations in Portland, What do you mean by cooling stations? We have cooling centers open, where there is air conditioning. In my neighborhood and others we’ve also got folks putting out coolers with iced water for people to take if needed. Here and in other parts of Oregon, we get usually at least one 100+ degree heat wave per summer. So, it isn’t totally novel. It usually lasts somewhere between a few days to a week. Most people don’t have air conditioning, because, except for those heat waves, you can effectively cool a home by pulling in cool air at night and then closing up during the day. There are regularly temps in the high 80s and low 90s throughout the summer, and usually the temperature will drop by 20 to 30 degrees overnight, which makes that method possible. When you’re starting at 100, even a 30-degree drop doesn’t do enough overnight, and usually you don’t get that much during a heat wave. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084.md?page=3)