According to the National Weather Service (NWS), some reports from the Chehalis and Centralia area noted temperatures reaching the triple digits on Tuesday, though the nearest NWS forecast office is in Olympia.
The heat in the state capitol reached 97 degrees. NWS said the temperature broke the previous record for July 27, which was set in 1998 when it reached 96. One meteorologist theorized it was even hotter just a half hour south. Temperatures recorded out of the Chehalis-Centralia Airport hovered at 95 degrees from about 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Forecasts say Lewis and Thurston counties will continue to see temperatures in the 90s or above into the weekend.
“A number of record highs were established Tuesday in Western Washington. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hit 94 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the previous daily record of 92 that was set in 1972 and 2018,” according to AccuWeather.
The Lewis County Division of Emergency Management announced last week it has opened cooling stations for residents to escape the heat if needed.
Cooling Station Locations:
• All Timberland Regional Libraries (Centralia, Chehalis, Randle, Packwood, Salkum, Winlock)
Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Centralia — 110 S. Silver St., Centralia
- Chehalis — 400 N. Market Blvd., Chehalis
- Mountain View (Randle) — 210 Silverbrook Road, Randle
- Packwood — 109 W. Main St., Packwood
- Salkum — 2480 U.S. Highway 12, Salkum
- Winlock — 322 NE First St., Winlock
• Lewis County Senior Centers (Morton, Packwood, Pe Ell, Toledo, Twin Cities, Winlock)
Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Morton — 103 Westlake Ave., Morton
- Packwood — 12931 U.S. Highway 12, Packwood
- Pe Ell — 416 First St., Pe Ell
- Toledo — 150 Coal St., Toledo
- Twin Cities — 2545 N. National Ave., Chehalis
- Winlock — 119 SW Kerron Ave., Winlock
• The Salvation Army, 303 N. Gold St., Centralia
Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Lewis County Gospel Mission, 72 SW Chehalis Ave., Chehalis
Hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Centralia City Council chambers, 118 W. Maple St., Centralia
Hours of operation: noon to 5 p.m.
• Lewis County Fire District 3, 238 Mossyrock Road E., Mossyrock
Hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Lewis County Fire District 4, 214 Second St., Morton
Hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lewis County Fire District 5, 102 Second Ave. NE, Napavine
Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Lewis County Fire District 10, 12953 U.S. Highway 12, Packwood
Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information on how to protect yourself and your pets from the heat, visit https://www.ready.gov/heat, https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.html, or https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/hot-weather-safety-tips.
