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POSTED: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008

Temperatures to near records this weekend

Stock up on sprinklers, ice cream and fans for this weekend: Friday, and Saturday, Aug. 15 and 16, could be the hottest days of the year so far, with temperatures climbing close to the daily records.

"For both (Friday) and Saturday, to tie or break the record, you might come up short," said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Friday's high is expected to be around 84 degrees, two degrees off of the recorded high of 86 in 1985. He said that Saturday's predicted high is 87, near the Bellingham daily record, set in 1967, at 89 degrees.

Thursday's 80-degree high wasn't a record, but it was a booming day in the ice cream business.

"I think I scooped over 100 cones (Thursday)," said Abbie Carlson, who works at the Colophon Café in Fairhaven. "And I go home with chocolate and ice cream on my forearms from being in the ice cream containers all day."

Warm winds blowing west over the Cascades and sunny skies are driving up the temperatures in Western Washington, Burg said.

The high temperatures have also triggered an air stagnation advisory through Saturday night. People with respiratory problems might want to limit outdoor activity.

But by Saturday evening, the weather should be noticeably cooler, Burg said.

Cooler air moving inland may cause isolated thunderstorms Saturday evening until around midnight. But don't expect much rain.

"There's going to be some rain," Burg said. "Enough to make the pavement wet a little bit."

Sunday is forecast to be partly cloudy with highs in the 70s with isolated thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon.

Bellingham's hot streak is predicted to gradually cool down Monday and Tuesday with a chance of showers on Wednesday.

Reach Anna Walters at anna.walters@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2220.