Weather Impact Alert: Hot temps, hazy conditions expected again in Inland Northwest on Wednesday

[00:00:04]It's time now to get an extended look at your forecast as we are under a Krem 2 weather impact alert. I'm Jenny Power and this is where we are going to really take an extended look of what's happening weather-wise and what you need to be prepared for across the region as the focus today and tomorrow is going to be on the high heat. I'm tracking temperatures that will reach into the upper 90s to low triple digits across the Inland Northwest and unfortunately when we see these kinds of temperatures, it can be hazardous to people. So especially people that are sensitive to the heat, take the extra precautions, but in general with these temperatures, it's going to be crucial that you're staying hydrated and you are also taking breaks from the sun. A big heads up to folks that might work outside. We have widespread heat advisories for all of these areas that are shaded in orange until 9:00 p.m. tomorrow evening. So this impacts much of Central and Eastern Washington as well as some areas of North Idaho, through the Idaho Panhandle into Coeur d'Alene as well as south to parts of the LC Valley. So let's take a look at those temperatures that we're looking at this late afternoon, early evening. 97 is the high for Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. We're looking at 98 for Newport and Deer Park, 101 for Colville, 104 for Omak and Chelan, 102 for Moses Lake and we're looking at 106 south to Richland and the lower Columbia Basin.

[00:01:19]These temperatures that we're seeing in Spokane are about 10 degrees above our average or above our normal for this time of year. Our record though, it was last set back in 1938 at 103. So we're not quite record breaking here, but it by all means is going to feel hot outside. The other thing to note is sunset continues to get a little bit earlier and earlier, 8:37 p.m. Tomorrow, temperatures are still going to be top of mind here with highs that will be in the upper 90s again for Spokane and Coeur d'Alene and we're still looking at some triple digit heat for some areas.

[00:01:52]Omak, Moses Lake and Richland as well as the LC Valley all included in that tomorrow. But I mean by it still is going to be warm a across central parts of the state with highs there in the upper 90s. So, when we are seeing this kind of high heat, especially for multiple days in a row, it's really crucial to know the difference signs between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

[00:02:13]To know the differences, but to also know what to do if you yourself are experiencing any of these symptoms or you see someone experiencing these symptoms. Let's go through the symptoms of heat exhaustion. That includes feeling faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, and muscle cramps. While some symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, I should say, include throbbing headache, no sweating, the skin is red hot and dry. We have a rapid strong pulse and under heat stroke we could see people lose consciousness.

[00:02:48]Another shared symptom is nausea and vomiting because of the temperatures.

[00:02:53]So, if you see somebody experiencing heat exhaustion, that's for these symptoms here shaded in orange, make sure you get the person to a cool air-conditioned area, offer them water if they are conscious, and also cool them down with a cool shower or cold compresses. However, if you see or see someone experiencing heat stroke, that is when you call 911. Another reminder that we talk about a lot during the summer here is never ever leaving pets or children unattended in a vehicle with the windows rolled up. When we have external temperatures outside of a car at 90 degrees, I mean look how quickly we can get up into triple digits and in under an hour, unfortunately, these conditions could become fatal. outdoor temperatures that are going to be in the triple digits, this just speeds up the process even faster. So, be aware of that. Always make sure you're checking your back seat and emphasis on again never leaving pets or children in a closed vehicle that is turned off with the windows up under these kinds of circumstances. So, the other thing that I'm tracking here has to do with the smoke and haze. We do still have some air quality alerts in place for all of these counties that are shaded in gray.

[00:04:02]They are going to be reevaluated throughout the day today and either extended or potentially expire because of the conditions that we've got out there. Across the region though, because our winds have been so light and our wildfires uh locally continue to burn, we do hang on to a good amount of smoke and haze. We're going to be comparing a couple of different models. This is one model that can show where some of those fires are burning up toward parts of the Colville reservation as well as near Inchelium, where we do have some of that heavier smoke. Now, the wind shift is going to determine who actually ends up seeing some of the heaviest smoke, but although winds are light, it is going to be mostly concentrated to closest to where those fires are burning. But moving into this evening, we have a little bit of a wind shift here, and so we are watching for areas to the east of some of these fires to really see an increase in some of that smoke, so that includes parts of Spokane County. Future tracker for you otherwise to go along with the hot temperatures, we are seeing some more sunshine throughout the day today. By this evening though, we start to see some increasing clouds across the Inland Northwest, and into tomorrow the threat is going to be on fire danger and the potential for some isolated thunderstorm activity that we first start to see fire up toward parts of the Okanogan Valley. But across the region for all of these areas that are shaded in green, we have a 10 to 30% chance of seeing some of these isolated thunderstorms. So, we've got high heat after several days of mostly dry conditions and then the threat of lightning and gusty outflow winds, which could lead to new fires starting and rapidly spreading. So, our concern is going to move toward the end of the week to the elevated fire weather risk. For now, we're just under the weather impact alert today and tomorrow because of the high heat, but as soon as we see any fire weather watches or red flag warnings go into place, which I do think are going to be likely in the coming days. That is when we would extend that weather impact alert to make sure you're prepared for that. So, Thursday afternoon and evening some of the greatest chances for seeing those isolated thunderstorms, but then winds in general start to pick up Friday and Saturday with some of the gustiest wind conditions actually expected on Saturday. Where gusts out of the southwest could be 25 to 40 mph.

[00:06:12]So, the wind that does help to kind of blow some of the smoke out of our region depending on direction and the wind shift. But, as we move forward with the dry conditions, the concern is going to be on that critical fire weather danger, which we're preparing to see here Friday and into Saturday. So, it's really been a pretty active week here so far. Of course, we'll bring you the latest updates right here. If you are looking for some cooler temperatures, that is expected by the middle early to middle of next week with highs that are going to be closer to our average there in the mid to upper 80s. But, a reminder for you that you can always stream our live local radar as well as get updates on the forecast whenever you like for free on the KREM 2 app.