Edmonds Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Edmonds residents should take precautions today, June 28, as the heat is expected to spike during our current heat wave.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning in effect through 11 p.m. Tuesday, June 29.

Although many predictions have Edmonds reaching in the mid-90s today, your temperature will vary depending on your location. Points east of south of downtown are expected to reach the 100s and even the 110s.

Several Edmonds restaurants on Sunday announced that they would close on Monday due to the heat.

Engel's Pub actually closed at 5 p.m Saturday and closed Sunday, as well.

Kelnero's closure on Monday is due in part to a broken air-conditioning unit.

"We are prioritizing the safety and well-being of our staff," said Kali Kelnero. "We plan to see you Tuesday during our regular hours. Thank you all for understanding."

The Loft is also closed.

"We attempted to stay open during this weather, but it is unfair for our kitchen and staff. Our employees safety comes first."

The Loft plans to reopen Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Shubert Ho's Salt & Iron is closed Monday, but The Mark-Ket will be open, as well as Shore Pine Coffee and Gelato and Potlatch Bistro at the Edmonds Waterfront Center.

The Waterfront Center has a cooling center from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for older residents.

If you are a senior and feeling overheated, you are invited to air conditioning and bottled water at the center.

The Senior Center/Waterfront Center has been checking on seniors to see how they are managing in the heat.

"We all need to be extra careful during periods of high heat," said Sue Shearer, RN for the EWC. "First, be sure to drink a lot of water. It is important to stay hydrated. Find a cool place to be during the hottest parts of the day, out of the sun."

Shearer also encourages those experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion to call a friend or family member for help. If you are alone and have a high temperature, feel dizzy, or have a headache associated with the heat, call 911.

"If you are doing fine through this heat wave, check on your friends and neighbors to see how they are doing," said CEO Daniel Johnson. "We are all in this together."

Edmonds Public Works Director Phil Williams said he hasn't heard about any heat-related issues in the city affecting infrastructure.

But city employees are taking precautions

"All of our workers will be very careful today, since it will likely be the hottest day of this extraordinary weather event," he said. "Lots of water and frequent breaks. Our building systems seem to be holding up mechanically and electrically."

Aaron Swaney, spokesperson for Snohomish County PUD, said PUD's generation – for example hydropower, solar and wind power – have performed as expected and kept pace with customer demand.

"But today is the day we have forecasted energy demand to be at its peak, so we'll be monitoring everything closely. We're asking customers to try to conserve as much energy as possible today by keeping their A/C units at 78, shutting blinds and using small appliances in the kitchen.

"Overall, our grid did a wonderful job over the weekend, as we had just a few outages but nothing too out of the ordinary."

Over at the Hazel Miller Spray Park, plenty of kids and their parents reveled in the cooling water, as the spray park reopened on Friday, almost a week earlier than planned.

Since then, the popular summer attraction has been filled with families looking for a fun way to cool off from this weekend's scorching temps.

Earlier in the month, the City of Edmonds announced that the spray park, which did not open last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would open again on July 1. However, parks maintenance staff were able to have the park ready to reopen by Friday, just in time for the start of the heat wave.

The Hazel Miller Spray Park will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the rest of the summer.

Yost Pool is also open for the summer, beginning today. But many sessions today are already full (from 1-4 p.m.), so make sure you call ahead to find out if you can get in.

Beacon reporter Natalie Kahn contributed to this report.