By THERESA HOGUE
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Friday, May 16, 2008 12:00 am
Mid-valley braces for record-breaking temps
Wintery skin was becoming distinctly sunkissed Thursday afternoon as Corvallis residents ventured outdoors in droves to soak up the long-awaited return of clear skies temperatures in the mid-80s. Forecasters say today will be a roaster, with the National Weather Service forecast calling for a high of 92 degrees in the mid-valley. Other forecasts predict up to 97. Either way, the record high of 88 degrees set on this date in 1956 is likely to fall today.
Thursday's high of 87 didn't even approach the 93-degree record set in 2006.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement Thursday, warning those venturing outdoors to apply the usual precautions: Drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and a hat, use sunscreen and stay in the shade, if you can, to avoid the risk of heat stroke.
Concerns about heat prompted the organizers of a massive Avery Park clean-up scheduled for this afternoon to cancel the event for now. More than 100 volunteers from Oregon State University's College of Health and Human Sciences had planned to pick up litter, paint an outbuilding and pull weeds, but the event will be rescheduled.
"We were concerned for the safety of the volunteers," said event spokeswoman Lindsey M. Heumann.
Thursday's weather suited many event organizers just perfectly.
In the Memorial Union Quad at Oregon State University, a man-hauled mountain of snow melted while skiers and snowboarders slid, glided and leapt on its snowy series of ramps during the annual "Snow in the Quad" competition.
More than 500 spectators watched the event, which was sponsored by Galvanic Design. Snow cones were in heavy demand as the onlookers listened to a disc jocky spin the background music.
Students on the quad's outskirts threw flying discs and played volleyball as part of the 2008 Cricket Wireless Campus Rail Jam Tour.
At Linus Pauling Middle School, the parents and student athletes gathered for the last track meet of the season, an invitational that brought competitors from Cheldelin Middle School and Franklin School and that was more heated than usual.
Jim Brown of Corvallis was positioning himself in the right spot to catch his son Alex pick up the baton during a relay, and had his video camera at the ready.
Brown, who was volunteering to keep time for some of the afternoon events, said the weather gave him a good excuse to break out the shorts.
"I'm dealing with it just fine," he said. "With this cool breeze, it's tolerable."
Although the sun will continue into the weekend, Brown said he was planning on spending Saturday and Sunday inside, finishing up a bathroom remodeling project.
Enjoying an afternoon snack of Cheetos on their blanket at the edge of the track, mom Wendy Woothtakewahbitty and her 3-year-old daughter, Melody, watched as Melody's older sister and her team took first place in their event. She and Melody had done some gardening earlier in the day, and were taking a break during the track meet. Melody knew exactly where she wanted to be on a hot day.
"I like to go to the water park," she said, munching another Cheeto.
Contractor Jason Barrett is used to dealing with the heat. Barrett, who was watching his daughter perform in the shot put event, wasn't having a problem with the mid-80s temperatures, but he wasn't too pleased about today's forecast for the spring's first stinging heat.
"(It) might be a little extreme," he said. "We just start a little bit earlier and quit a little bit earlier."