Even though Seattle didn’t achieve true heat wave status* over the weekend, I’m positive that some Capitol Hill micro-climates did. For example, I was at Bauhaus yesterday afternoon, and inside the ladies room it must have been at least 126 degrees. I heard the men’s room was even hotter, although no one was brave enough to make a direct comparison. Any other nominations for hottest micro-heat wave on the hill?
* While there is no official definition of heat wave, I prefer the criteria provided by A. T. Burrows in 1900. He “rigidly defined a ‘hot wave’ as a spell of three or more days on each of which the maximum shade temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F (32 °C).” (Primary source: Glossary of Meteorology; Secondary source: Wikipedia.)
I can report that even in the cool hours of Saturday morning, I broke a nasty sweat waddling back up Mercer toward Broadway from Summit. Of course, the Top Pot sugar and fat coursing my veins was likely a contributing factor. But I’d say it was probably 101.
We should all try to use the word “spell” as “a period of time” more often. Makes me feel all old-timey.