The record won’t last 24 hours but Sunday’s official high temperature of 104 F for the city marked a new historic milestone for Seattle.

On Capitol Hill, CHS found people doing their best to cool down and help their family, friends, neighbors, and neighborhood critters stay comfortable during the dangerously hot pulse of Pacific Northwest weather. Many businesses closed early or shut down altogether with plans for more to join on Monday. Inside Capitol Hill grocery stores, management posted signs asking customers to please keep freezer doors shut. Many marked a sweltering Pride weekend with a visit to the new AIDS Memorial Pathway between Capitol Hill Station and Cal Anderson Park. Others enjoyed the spray parks at Miller Playfield and in Volunteer Park.

Sunday’s record high was recorded at 5:29 PM.

UPDATE: The official Seattle record has been smashed — Sea-Tac hit 106 F sometime after 2 PM Monday. UPDATE x2: The 5 PM update? 107 F. UPDATE x3: Monday’s official high? 108 F.

Relief, of sorts, is coming as marine air is set to try to do battle with the hot winds rolling down the Cascades and blasting the city. Here’s how the National Weather Service describes what is likely to come next to help cool us down — to 90 F! —

Perhaps the good news in all of this is that the shortwave trough just offshore will help nudge the upper level high ever so slightly east this evening and tonight, helping to replace those warm, easterly downslope winds off the Cascades with more W/SW flow from off the Pacific. This will help make for a noticeably cooler night tonight as compared to the previous few nights, although it will still likely be uncomfortably warm by PacNW standards.

The old record from July 29, 2009 of 103 F was itself an anomaly. Recent annual highs in Seattle have failed to penetrate the 100 degree mark:

Source: currentresults.com

At 5:29 PM PDT this evening, Seattle reached a new all-time record high temperature of 104. #wawx

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) June 28, 2021

https://twitter.com/MarcoLowe/status/1409251478691143681

end times https://t.co/grfTGiIcWW

— jseattle (@jseattle) June 28, 2021

https://twitter.com/joni__bitchell/status/1409267064603176960

Our water station is back today and tomorrow! Cold water bottles and jugs available for anyone who needs it. We also have freezie pops inside. Stay cool and hydrated Capitol Hill! #capitolhillseattle #seattleheatwave pic.twitter.com/wsQjf5d3eQ

— Outer Planet Brewing (@OuterPlanetBrew) June 27, 2021

So far, infrastructure has withstood the blast but is now up against forecasts calling for a new all-time Seattle record high of 107 F. The day started oppressively hot with temperatures in the mid-70s just after sunrise. City crews are proactively treating Seattle’s bridges with cool vitamin water to keep any steel from buckling. SDOT says they add a small amount of Vitamin C in order to neutralize chlorine in the water before spraying down the decks. Crews are also ready to deal with any buckled pavement or potholes that are more likely to form during the pavement-melting heat.

UPDATE: Reports of buckling pavement on I-5 around Seattle have begun to roll in:

And here we go.. We have some buckled pavement on southbound I-5 at NE 130th St. Two right lanes are currently blocked. IRT is on scene. Please remember to move over, give us space, and slow down! pic.twitter.com/WYrHAomnqi

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) June 28, 2021

Meanwhile, the city’s transit systems have mostly withstood the heat blast without damage like the fired electrical lines that reportedly shut down Portland’s light rail. Seattle City Light has also thus far avoided any major disruptions in service.

Seattle public transit might also offer you a chance to cool down. Add a visit to the Capitol Hill Station tunnel to your trip if you decide to venture outside Monday:

Where to cool down around Capitol Hill: City of Seattle cooling stations, parks and beaches, and, yes, the light rail tunnel

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE THIS SPRING
🌈🐣🌼🌷🌱🌳🌾🍀🍃🦔🐇🐝🐑🌞🌻 
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.

Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month -- or choose your level of support 👍