# West Coasters: How are you doing in this heat wave?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084>\
**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:** 3

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**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, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/41 "2021-06-27T21:53:20Z")

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> [@DesertDog](#):
>
> 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._

I went to the U of I so I know about rapid temperature shifts. Here, if the high goes from 76 to 78 during the week, it is a warming trend.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/42 "2021-06-28T01:14:04Z")

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Yes, there are cooling stations open (and IIRC, the governor lifted COVID restrictions on theaters, malls, and the like).

**Czarcasm,** have you got somewhere to go if it’s just intolerable?

Thanks for the suggestions upthread. Indeed, we had water for bees, birds, opossums, and squirrels out. Heat pump is mostly shaded and seems okay. I lived in the Middle East, so I’ve got the hydration thing down. We hit 108, but I don’t think 111 will happen.

I’m taking my 15 minutes outside after two hours of Carcassonne at the kitchen table.

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**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/43 "2021-06-28T01:39:36Z")

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> [@susan](#):
>
> We hit 108, but I don’t think 111 will happen.

1. 

> <https://twitter.com/NWSPortland/status/1409303279872274434>

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**Author:** ![Redcanoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b487fb/32.png) [@Redcanoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redcanoe)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/44 "2021-06-28T02:12:21Z")

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Ugh. 108 still at 7:00pm in Hillsboro, west of Portland.

We have a window AC in the bedroom upstairs and a portable AC for the downstairs. Neither one is really keeping up. Forecast low tonight is 78. This sucks. The house just won’t cool down.

We took the jeep out last night, top down, doors off at 10:00pm. There were spots out on country roads that were OK. Plan on doing that again tonight.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/45 "2021-06-28T02:50:09Z")

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Yup, but we’re not in Portland–a bit south. 🙂 🌅🔥🔥🔥🔥🥓💀

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/46 "2021-06-28T02:58:07Z")

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Seattle suburbs here. I think it’s 98F outside. My AC is a bit undersized for the house, and we have a birthday party and a couple of grills doing korean BBQ inside. So, it’s close to 80F inside. And we don’t have a half sunken floor.

That said, if it’s more that 15 days over 90F this summer I will be surprised.

I also brew beer, and my special norweigan farmhouse Kviek yeast that ferments up to 105F is happily chugging away in the 95F garage. It will be ready to keg no more than 48 hours after I started it.

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**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 28, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/47 "2021-06-28T04:49:38Z")

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It said on our news tonight that Portland today was a whole ten degrees cooler than Death Valley.

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**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/48 "2021-06-28T15:19:41Z")

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The bulk of the heat isn’t supposed to hit us here in Edmonton AB until Wednesday, when it’ll go over 100f. Not unheard of in these parts, but extremely rare- and like the PNW, AC is pretty rare here.

Luckily, when we bought this house last summer, the very first thing we did was have good air conditioning installed- we’re from Texas, originally, and the idea of not having AC is just… wrong. Most of my friends and coworkers, however, aren’t so lucky.

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**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 28, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/49 "2021-06-28T15:28:49Z")

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Portland, Oregon-84 and it is supposed to hit 118. It was 67 at 4 am, so I opened the doors and windows and used the fans to “flush the house”, so to speak.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/50 "2021-06-28T15:33:12Z")

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> [@JaneDoe42](#):
>
> Do you have windshield sun shades? They really do help, I use them year around so I don’t get out of the habit.

Yeah, the full procedure is to put the windshield sun shade in and crack your windows maybe 3/4 of an inch when you get out. Basically it lessens the amount of solar radiation that gets into the car, and lets any hotter than ambient air get out, mitigating the oven effect. It’s still 101 or whatever in your car, but it’s not 130 with super-hot steering wheels and other surfaces either.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/51 "2021-06-28T15:45:06Z")

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We have an LG portable 7,000 BTU air conditioner in the living room. It works pretty well, until it seems it can’t keep up. I heard on the news this morning that a/cs in the PNW aren’t designed for these prolonged temperatures and may need a ‘rest’. We have a box fan in the living room and in the catio. And we got the wife’s window shade put up in the laundry room yesterday.

Currently it’s 74º in the living room (a/c not turned on yet) and 70º in the catio.

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**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 28, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/52 "2021-06-28T17:24:22Z")

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> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> I heard on the news this morning that a/cs in the PNW aren’t designed for these prolonged temperatures and may need a ‘rest’.

Just got done with a zoom call with my parents. My dad said that AC in Seattle is designed for 85 F, so these temperatures are definitely out of scope.

He got up at 4:30 am to vent the house and by 8:30 he closed all the windows as that’s when the sun starts to hit the house. This is one of the times that they are super happy to be in a bit of a valley. Bad for cell phone service, but great for keeping cool.

They are going over to a friend’s house in the afternoon to take advantage of the AC.

Yesterday they had a friend come to their house to cool down, as her apartment’s on the second floor without AC. Tonight’s she’s in a Days Inn.

Hope this is the only heat wave that’s like this for 2021. Not much fun for anyone.

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**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/53 "2021-06-28T17:47:44Z")

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Lytton BC set an all-time Canadian record yesterday at 46.1 C (115 F).

I expect that to be superseded today and/or tomorrow

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/54 "2021-06-28T19:13:30Z")

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We expect to hit only (sic) 95 today.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/55 "2021-06-28T19:15:24Z")

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> [@Pardel-Lux](#):
>
> Just for reference, from halfway across the world: we are having several heat records broken in the most unlikely places in Europe.

Yes, offhand most of us would think it would never get extremely hot north of the Arctic Circle:

> **[Ground Temps Reached 118°F In The Arctic Circle Yesterday - CleanTechnica](https://cleantechnica.com/2021/06/23/ground-temps-reached-118f-in-the-arctic-circle-yesterday/)**
>
> Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. Ground temperatures in Siberia have reached 118°F, Gizmodo reported while sharing the newly published satellite images. It should be noted that the temperature recorded is a...

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**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/56 "2021-06-28T19:41:39Z")

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We’re supposed to hit 112 today, 117 tomorrow. I had planned on going running tomorrow but unless I find the willpower to wake up at 4:30am that probably won’t happen.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/57 "2021-06-28T20:18:18Z")

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I’ve turned on the a/c.

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**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 28, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/58 "2021-06-28T20:23:02Z")

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The ambient high there yesterday was 86° F. But, at least the two previous days, the high was 90° F, and also, this is a time of midnight sun inside the Arctic circle. So, the ground just keeps absorbing the heat of the sun. It’s certainly concerning, but not as far in that direction as it seems on first reading it. It was not 118° F inside the Arctic circle, the way we usually mean that phrase.

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**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/59 "2021-06-28T21:04:23Z")

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> [@Dark\_Sponge](#):
>
> We’re supposed to hit 112 today, 117 tomorrow. I had planned on going running tomorrow but unless I find the willpower to wake up at 4:30am that probably won’t happen.

That’s what happened to my Saturday run. If it breaks and it is merely 70 tomorrow early morning, I may be able to at least do the Tuesday run. But I might just sleep - the past three nights, the heat has been waking me up.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-coasters-how-are-you-doing-in-this-heat-wave/945084/60 "2021-06-28T21:44:12Z")

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Now we’re getting some big wind.

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