Forecast calls for a high to reach the century mark

When summertime gets really scorching, 9-year-old Georgia Hutzler sometimes runs through a sprinkler at home or gets in a water fight.

But her favorite way to cool off is the slide at Otter Beach, the outdoor pools at Osborn Aquatic Center.

“It’s really fun to go down and then you splash in the water,” Georgia said.

Plenty of other locals were at Otter Beach trying to beat the oppressive weather on Thursday afternoon.

But the heat still is on: The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning through 10 p.m. Friday. The service said temperatures likely will exceed 100 degrees today throughout much of the Willamette Valley.

The Corvallis Municipal Airport recorded a temperature of 102 degrees Thursday. But Hyslop Research Farm, the area’s official weather station, hit an unofficial high of 98 degrees, which didn’t exceed its record of 101 degrees in 1919.

The all-time record for the area is 108 degrees, set on Aug. 9, 1981, when four days in a row were well over the century mark.

The forecast for Corvallis today is 100 degrees. That would tie the Aug. 15 record for Hyslop Research Farm on Highway 20. The record was set in 1927, said George Taylor, a local climatologist.

The thermostat is expected to “cool” to 95 degrees on Saturday, with Sunday’s forecast calling for a return to a more temperate 87-degree high, according to the National Weather Service.

So far, summer 2008’s weather has been fairly normal, Taylor said.

In June, the temperature was about 2.5 degrees below average, followed by conditions 1.5 degrees above normal in July. August has been almost exactly par for the course, Taylor said.

This week’s heat wave hasn’t increased a risk of local power outages, partly because many people in western Oregon and Washington don’t have air conditioning, said Tom Gauntt, a Pacific Power spokesman.

Portland and Seattle are the only two major metropolitan areas in the United States where the power usage doesn’t peak in the summer. December and January are the peak months here.

Those looking to cool off with a weekend at the beach might want to reconsider. According to Andre Hagestedt, editor of BeachConnection.net, there’s a proliferation of “no vacancy” signs at hotel and motels at the Oregon Coast.

At 1 p.m. Thursday, 75 people were lined up in the heat outside the Corvallis Parks & Recreation facility for the start of its open swim. James Mellein, Osborn’s aquatic director, said that 700 people likely would hit the water.

Kristi Isaksen of Salem came to the pool with her two daughters. While in line, they talked about how to cool off today. They were thinking about going to the movie theater for a matinee.

The cool basics

• Stay out of the direct sun

• Do physical activity in cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening

• If active, take frequent breaks in the shade or slow down

• Drink water or sport drinks regularly and before you are thirsty

• Make sure pets have enough cool water to drink. (It heats up fast in metal bowls left in the sun)

• Never leave children or pets in a car or in a confined hot place

• Basements and lower stories of houses are often much cooler

• Deter using appliances that generate heat, such as ovens or even dishwashers

• Close curtains to insulate and keep sun and radiant heat from warming inside

• Don’t have AC? Visit the library, see a movie or do light shopping during the day

• When evening temperatures cool, open all windows, being mindful of safety

• Check on friends and neighbors more vulnerable to the heat

Tips courtesy of Benton County Emergency Management

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.