It hit 103 in Seattle today.
(No, this isn’t going to be a global warming or climate change post… although I would like everyone to remember today when it’s winter and someone somewhere has a monster cold spell and maybe sets a record low and people say “gosh, that global warming stuff is a load of bullshit!”
The point is that you can’t look at the occasional extremes; today’s 103, a new record in Seattle, isn’t any more “proof” that global warming is real- but those super-duper cold days aren’t proof that it ISN’T real, either. You can’t take either one; they’re both outliers, extremes, and instead you have to take the overall trends and averages… which are all trending up, up, up.)
103 is hot. I don’t care who you are, where you are- that’s hot. It’s not Phoenix-hot; when I was down there for college at Arizona State University, I arrived at around midnight and had to walk from one end of campus to the other (Manzanita Hall to Saguaro Hall, which was south of Apache Blvd). It was about 95. In the daytime, it was routinely in the 110-120 range.
But 103 is hot. Yeah, humans can take it; we sweat more, but we can take it… but it helps a lot to be acclimated to it.
And let me tell you- no acclimation to that in Seattle! The humidity isn’t as bad as some places, like the Midwest or sweltering South, but again, same deal- acclimation.
Many people here in the Pacific NW have been bitching about the heat, and our friends and family around the nation in places where it gets hot regularly are mocking us… but they forget that we’re not acclimated. It does make a big difference, as this Seattle Times article points out:
“When you haven’t acclimated, you get this general discomfort,” Sawka said. “Your skin is wet and hot, your cardiovascular system is strained and maybe you didn’t drink as much water as you should, so you’re dehydrated, too.”
Folks who are acclimated to heat start sweating sooner and perspire more. The sweat is more diluted, so the body doesn’t lose precious salt. The process is better paced, so the sweat evaporates quickly. “People in places like Phoenix will say: ‘I hardly sweat at all,’ ” Sawka said. “They’re actually sweating a lot, but they don’t notice because their skin stays dry.”
Compared with a Seattleite, an acclimatized person in Houston and other steamy climes also has a heart that pumps more effectively and doesn’t beat as fast when the mercury soars.
…
Almost everyone — including the most shade-loving Northwesterner — has some ability to acclimate to heat. But a few people claim they never get used to it, and they could have a point.
It’s likely that folks who spend their early years in a warm climate are somehow primed to better shrug off the heat, Sawka said. One Army analysis found that recruits from northern states are more likely to get sick from the heat than those from the South. Another study found that people born in hot places had more sweat glands than people born in cool places.
Some people, especially the elderly, find it harder to shed heat because of heart problems, sickness, or the side effects of medication. Recent research suggests people suffering from infections might be more susceptible to heat. Others are handicapped by girth. “Those of us who are pleasantly plump have a layer of insulation that interferes with eliminating heat,” Sonna said.
Although people adapt to heat better than to cold, high temperatures can kill. A 2008 study found heat waves are the leading cause of death from natural disasters in the United States.
It’s only been 100 a few other times in Seattle. I remember one time, 15 years ago; July 20, 1994. I remember it very distinctly because on that day, when it finally broke into triple digits in Seattle, I was… skiing. Snowskiing.
Seriously. My girlfriend Paula and I had only been living together for a few months at this point, and we made a summertime run up to Whistler to ski on the Blackcomb Glacier. The day it hit 100 in Seattle, I was sharing a t-bar with Donna Weinbrecht, who was a super-duper-stud mogul skier (she had just come off winning gold medals in the Albertville, France 1992 Winter Olympics).
We came back to our place in Auburn to find all my fish dead or dying. They were tropical fish but weren’t acclimated, and their water got just too darned hot.
It’s been quite a day with that heat. Airplanes don’t climb as fast, although the performance differences aren’t as distinct with modern jets (think 737-800s versus old 727s). Animals overheat- acclimation again, though, because I saw golden retrievers walking around Victoria Peak in Hong Kong in sweltering weather that would put Indiana the Wonder Dog into heatstroke. People are even at risk for dying- heat waves kill more people than any other natural disaster in the United States according to some studies.
So folks, take heed- get inside an air conditioned place, stay cool, drink MORE water, and try to beat the heat. I know it’s tough to find AC sometimes- I read that less than 15% of the homes in this area are air conditioned. Go to a restaurant or bar or go see a movie- that’s good for a couple hours out of the heat!
Good news is that our normal, much more pleasant Seattle weather should be back within a few days.
