Cooling trend is forecast next week

Gazette-Times

A 52-year-old record melted in the heat Friday, but that didn’t seem to bother many of the winter-weather-weary residents who took to the water, took off their sweaters and otherwise welcomed a preview of summer.

The mercury reached an as-yet-unofficial high of 92, said climate expert George Taylor. The old record high for May 16 was an 88-degree high recorded in 1956.

For those who longed to escape the hottest part of the day, the green, snowmelt-swollen Willamette River proved irresistible. They took to the river in rafts, inner tubes and anything else that floated to escape the hottest hours of the day, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Even a group of fraternity members who were hosting a party on the asphalt said they’ll take the heat, any day.

“It’s been nasty for how long? Now finally we get nice weather. It brings people out, for sure,” said Reid Highberger, an Oregon State University freshman, outside Sigma Phi Epsilon.

The house was the headquarters of a fundraiser block party Friday afternoon. Four fraternities were combining the hot weather with cool intentions, and had closed 26th Street from Monroe to Jackson avenues.

The fraternities held a series of events for “SigStock” this week, and proceeds will be forwarded to the nonprofit Free the Children. OSU students hope to raise enough money to build four schools in developing countries.

Of course, they hoped people were having a good time at the block party, which included sand volleyball, a step performance, girls in bikinis, guys in surf trunks, and plenty of nonalcoholic fluids so students could stay hydrated.

“I’ve been drinking lots of water,” said Jenna Gonzales, a 20-year-old sophomore, after whooping the competition in a hula-hoop contest. “Everybody has water or something in their hands.”

With another day of hot weather forecast today, Peggy Peirson, emergency services coordinator for Benton County, warned that local folks should remember that heat exhaustion and the more serious heat stroke can sneak up on those who ignore the signs.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include cold and clammy skin, profuse sweating, confusion, dizziness and an elevated core temperature. Because these symptoms can come on suddenly and lead to heat stroke if ignored, it’s important to seek treatment immediately once they become evident. Watch for hot and dry skin, a body temperature above 103 degrees, a rapid pulse that becomes weaker, nausea, vomiting, confusion and headaches.

A benefit to the heat? It gives people a legitimate reason to put off outdoor activities that require a great deal of exertion. Peirson recommends that those who must venture outdoors in the heat of the day wear light, loose-fitting protective clothing, sunscreen and a hat. Drink water often and avoid beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which tends to dehydrate rather than help keep the body’s own natural cooling system — perspiration — working.

Check on the frail and those who live alone to ensure they are safe and well and out of the heat.

Remember that leaving a pet alone in a closed car in weather like this — even for a short time in the shade with the windows cracked slightly — can expose them to dangerous heat levels within minutes.

Hate the heat? It isn’t going to last, according to forecast from the National Weather Service, which predicted cooling today into the high 80s, into the 70s Sunday and the return of spring rain by late Monday.