Weather service ‘unofficially’ says area breaks all-time high with 109 degrees on Sunday

Nothing like fresh, ice cold lemonade on a summer day with the sweltering heat. Cousins RJ, 15, left, and Maliah, 12, along with Johnny (who stopped in) are selling at East Stillwater Avenue and Ideal Drive. They are raising money for Maliah's school trip to Washington, D.C. They will be selling Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They have regular, strawberry and berry blast.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

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Fallon broke its all-time high Sunday when the temperatures topped 109 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

The previous record was set on Aug. 8, 1981.

Since July 1, Naval Air Station Fallon has recorded nine days of highs exceeding 100. On July 6 and 8, Fallon reached 105 degrees, both records. Since July 4 when the thermometer fell short in reaching the century mark at 99, Fallon has rattled off nine consecutive days of highs reaching 100 or more. June had nine days of 100 degrees or more with records being set on June 28 and 29. Each day recorded 105 degrees, and for the month, the average was 95 degrees compared to the average of 86.9 degrees.

The NWS said they won’t be able to determine if this month will be the hottest on record until early August.

Residents, though, will see a slight break from the 100-degree plus temperatures for the remainder of the week when highs will reach into the high 90s. Morning lows will hover in the mid-to-high-50s.

The last trace of precipitation occurred in late June.

A lifeguard watches swimmers Monday morning at the Fallon pool.
Steve Ranson / LVN

The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office said they did not receive calls over the weekend for heat-related problems. NV Energy serves Churchill County residents. In a media release, Nevada's largest power provider is urging customers to conserve electricity because of extreme heat and wildfires affecting transmission lines in western states.

Customers should turn off lights and pool pumps, unplug appliances not in use and avoid using large appliances such as dishwashers from 6-9 p.m. each day, NV Energy said. "Conservation is the best way to reduce strain on the local power grid."
The city of Fallon, which buys its electricity from Utah, is reporting no problems.

The Lahontan Valley News asked readers over the weekend their thoughts about the latest heat wave gripping Churchill County.

Rob Stults said he’s concerned about residents who may hot have air conditioning.

“Use the weather as a good reason to check in on your neighbors,” he said. “Also keep in mind that we still have public safety officials and our military members who are outside everyday working to keep us safe. Take a little time out of your day to be nice to someone.”

Tracy McMindes said she hoses the chicken coops down twice a day at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Anthony Baltazar said he’s watering his animals three to four times daily.

“When you have 100 plus animals, we are out in the heat more than we want to be but it’s important to make sure they are all OK,” he said.

Lisa Cummings said her garden is suffering.

“Even with twice daily waterings, morning and night, I still have very sad plants,” she said. “I'm also not looking forward to my electricity bill next month.”

Deandra Elizabeth said her swamp cooler barely cools her house without the help of additional tower fans.

Longtime resident Fred Buckmaster grew up in Churchill County.

“We are officially 3 degrees from Hell,” he said.

Residents are cooling off at one of the municipal swimming pools or Lahontan Reservoir.

“Make sure to visit the outdoor pool,” Mel Hansen said. “The water temp is perfect. Stay hydrated.

Arlene Comstock-Van Winkle said she was at Lahontan the other day and said there’s plenty of water for jet skiing and swimming,

“We had a great time,” she said.

Sally Ocken said thank goodness for Oasis.

“Our AC is working so well and we are comfortable,” she said. “I will deal with the bigger bill to be cool.”

Patty Lewis said she’s a summer person, so she doesn't mind the summer weather.

“I prefer it over the cold, but I do feel bad for the people who have to work outside in it and feel for those of you with animals and large gardens,” she said. “I get up really early to take care of my outside stuff.”

Teacher Karl Marsh said his air conditioner stopped working.

“ Also every company that can fix it is one week to two weeks booked,” he said.

Roger W. Elliott said he can’t wait for winter.

Jamlint Baglin agrees.

“Cold weather is better than heat,” she said. “You can always put on more layers in the cold, but in the heat you can only take off so much before it's illegal and/or immoral.”

On a bright side note, she said the Lahontan Valley doesn’t have high humidity levels like several other states dealing with the excessive heat.

Tom Keyes said autumn will come, and he hopes the area has a real winter

Fall will come. I hope we have a real winter.

Laney Elmore recommends residents hose the debris such as leaves and cotton seed out of the air conditioners so it will run more efficiently. Melva Hensley said she’s not that bothered by the heat because she used to live in the San Joaquin Valley.
Dianne Hutchens has sound advice to ensure air conditioning operates efficiently.

“Have your HVAC company on a quarterly maintenance schedule,” she said. “They’ll catch problems before they occur and are much more available if something untoward happens, regardless if it’s AC in the summer or heat in the winter.”
Guy Clifton, who grew up Gabbs, remembers previous summers.

“I don’t know if it’s climate change or something else, but Northern Nevadans used to have a saying about our weather that we have two weeks in the summer that are too hot and two weeks in the winter that are too cold. Might have to elongate both,” he said.

A girl beats the heat at the Fallon pool.
Steve Ranson / LVN

Heat stroke
Residents must be careful of the extreme heat. Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures — usually in combination with dehydration — which leads to failure of the body's temperature control system.
The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after exposure to high temperatures. Other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma.

Symptoms of heat stroke
The hallmark symptom of heat stroke is a core body temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. But fainting may be the first sign.
Other symptoms may include the following:
Throbbing headache
Dizziness and light-headedness
Lack of sweating despite the heat
Red, hot, and dry skin
Muscle weakness or cramps
Nausea and vomiting
Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
Rapid, shallow breathing
Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
Seizures
Unconsciousness
First Aid for Heat Stroke
If you suspect that someone has a heat stroke, immediately call 911 or transport the person to a hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal.
While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the person to an air-conditioned environment — or at least a cool, shady area — and remove any unnecessary clothing.
If possible, take the person’s core body temperature and initiate first aid to cool it to 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. (If no thermometers are available, don't hesitate to initiate first aid.)
Try these cooling strategies:
Fan air over the patient while wetting their skin with water from a sponge or garden hose.
Apply ice packs to the patient's armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water.
If the person is young and heathy and suffered heat stroke while exercising vigorously — what’s known as exertional heat stroke — you can use an ice bath to help cool the body.
Do not use ice for older patients, young children, patients with chronic illness, or anyone whose heat stroke occurred without vigorous exercise. Doing so can be dangerous.
Source: WebMD

Weather service ‘unofficially’ says area breaks all-time high with 109 degrees on Sunday

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