MOSES LAKE — Yes, yes, it’s summer and hot weather is to be expected. And yes, hot sunny days are what everyone is thinking about in January when it’s 15 degrees and dark by noon, or so it seems. But still — at this point in the heat wave, there’s one question on everyone’s mind.

“When will it end?” said Joey Clevenger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. 

Well, Inland Northwest residents can expect it to stick around for at least another week. High temperatures are forecast to break 100 degrees next Saturday and Sunday. 

Clevenger said there’s a chance of some dry thunderstorm activity - and possibly slightly cooler temperatures — sometime Wednesday.

“That’s only going to be a few degrees. From what we’ve been seeing, by the weekend (temperatures) are going to be right back up there,” he said.

The dry thunderstorms have the potential to increase fire danger, he said. 

For the record, high temperatures in Moses Lake and Ephrata have been about 10 to 12 degrees above normal since July 5, he said. The forecast high for Moses Lake is 99 degrees Friday, 103 degrees Saturday and 101 degrees Sunday. Lows are forecast to be in the mid-60s all week. 

Hot summer weather in the Inland Northwest starts with high-pressure ridges in the Southwest, he said. High pressure over the Four Corners in the southwest is pushing the cooler air off the ocean away from the region. Cooler, more moist air means clouds among other things, and with the high pressure, there are none to be seen.

“The sky is pretty-cloud free,” Clevenger said. “It’s dry with plenty of sunshine, so it just bakes the area.”

A little bit of relief may be coming after the weekend.

“The models are starting to hint at a system coming early next week,” Clevenger said.

The bad news is that the weather system is likely to bring winds with it, which would increase fire danger. And it’s not like temperatures will drop very much. Clevenger said the current forecast is for high temperatures in the low to mid-90s. 

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Highs and lows for the Inland Northwest - including the Columbia Basin - will be well above normal through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.