COEUR d’ALENE — Wednesday’s high of 97 degrees was no problem for brothers Cayd and Zane Winters, who spent the afternoon jumping from the rocky Tubbs Hill shoreline into the crisp waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

“It feels great,” said Cayd after taking the plunge. “It’s super refreshing.”

The water, in contrast, was much cooler at 72 degrees.

The brothers were among the many who found relief on the lake from what was one of the hottest days of summer so far.

A high of 97 degrees was also recorded at the Coeur d’Alene Airport on July 14, and this week’s heat wave also brought a high of 95 on Tuesday, according to Charlotte Dewey with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

The average high temperature for Coeur d’Alene in July is 83 degrees, Dewey said, adding that average high temperatures across the Inland Northwest have been above normal for June and July.

The forecast is for 90s again today, but Dewey said conditions should cool down as unsettled weather moves into the area over the next five to seven days. 

The heat also brought an increase of water usage citywide. 

The city of Coeur d'Alene is currently pumping at maximum capacity, according to water department director Kyle Marine.  

This month, Coeur d'Alene has pumped about 800 million gallons of water, averaging nearly 26 million gallons per day, Marine said.  

"We’re consistently pushing around 35,000 gallons per minute from about 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. before the system starts to level off," he wrote in an email.

Even so, most seem to welcome the summer sun.  

“I’m from Arizona, so this feels great,” said Amanda Fields as she watched her children take the leap from Tubbs Hill into the water below.  

“It’s just a little cold,” said her daughter, Evie, after emerging from the water.