The heat wave that has broiled the rest of the country in recent weeks is arriving in the Northwest. The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the triple digits in parts of the inland Northwest by later this weekend.
Boise, Pasco and Coeur d'Alene could flirt with new high temperature records on Sunday and Monday.
Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond says there's a connection between the local hot spell and the national scene.
"The big ridge of high pressure aloft that has been plaguing most of the rest of the country is 'retrograding' or moving west, kind of into our neck of the woods. We're getting moderated some by a weak flow of marine air at low levels. So it's more pleasantly warm than hellishly hot."
A brush fire west of Chelan, Washington has grown to around 250 acres today, but is nearly half contained. There's a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms Friday and Saturday around the Columbia Basin and also over the foothills of the Treasure Valley.
Thanks to KUOW's Weekday for sharing tape for this story.
On the Web:
Forecast highs on Sunday, July 8:
Pasco: 101 - Record 101 (1996)
Boise: 102 - Record 103 (1968)
Coeur d'Alene: 97 - Record 98 (1968)
The Dalles: 100 - Record 104 (2010)
Medford: 97 - Record 104 (1962)
Redmond/Bend: 99 - Record 103 (1968)
Source: NWS and Wunderground.com
Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network
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