Heat dome traps Tri-Cities. High temperatures could reach 109
The Tri-Cities is trapped under another heat dome, with a high of 107 expected Friday in the middle of three days of 100-plus temperatures, says the National Weather Service.
The Weather Channel predicts even hotter temperatures with a high of 109 on Friday.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Thursday through Saturday, with possible top temperature of 102 forecast Thursday and 103 on Saturday.
Overnight temperatures will remain hot, giving people without air conditioning little chance for their bodies to cool down.
The low temperature Friday night could drop to only 75, with Saturday night even warmer at 78, according to the weather service.
The city of Richland says people are welcome to cool down at the Richland Community Center, the Richland Public Library and Richland City Hall.
Kennewick does not plan to reopen its cooling center at the Keewaydin Community Center due to very limited use in the late June heatwave. Only five people showed up over the week it was open then.
However, the nearby Keewaydin branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries will be open for people who need a place to cool off, along with other libraries across the Tri-Cities area.
Pasco, which also saw limited use of its cooling centers in June, is encouraging people to make use of the two libraries in Pasco.
Relief from the heatwave should start Sunday.
“Daytime highs are expected to finally drop to near normal values through much of next week,” said the National Weather Service in its extended forecast for southeast Washington.
Normal average highs for the Tri-Cities in late July and August are about 90 degrees.
The high Sunday is forecast at 94, dropping to 92 to 93 Monday through Wednesday.
Cooler weather Sunday will come with a 30% chance of rain in the Tri-Cities.
The storm system could bring rain across much of Washington, providing some possible help to firefighters.
But there is also a possibility that the storm system could bring thunderstorms that produce more lightning than rain in the Northwest, according to AccuWeather.
The National Interagency Fire Center reported 11 wildfires burning in Washington on Thursday.
This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 9:16 AM.