Summer 2021 was the hottest in Spokane, ever

Spokane is among hundreds of places around the United States that had their hottest summer ever in 2021.

September 1, 2021 5:27 PM

Matt Gray,

Posted: September 1, 2021 5:27 PM

Updated: September 1, 2021 7:54 PM

by Matt Gray

Record hot summer in Spokane 2021 — copyright 4 News Now

SPOKANE, Wash.– Spokane is among hundreds of places across the United States that had its hottest summer ever in 2021. The average temperature in Spokane this summer was 73.1 degrees, beating out the previous record of 72.7 set in 2015.. Weather and climate records define summer as the months of June, July, and August as opposed to the days between the summer solstice and autumn equinox.

The driver of this especially hot summer was a series of heat waves that included the hottest temperature ever recorded in Spokane; 109 on June 29. Spokane also saw the most days with 90-degree temperatures and tied the most days with 100-degree temperatures. What really drove the hot weather though, was the dramatically warmer overnight temperatures. Overnight lows this summer averaged above 60 degrees for the first time in 140 years of records. Afternoon highs in Spokane this summer averaged 86.1 degrees, just a tick below 1961.

Average summer lows in Spokane 1990-2021

Dozens of other communities in the Inland Northwest also ended up with their hottest summer this year or came very close. Among the towns with their hottest summer on record were Lewiston, Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, Potlatch, Chelan, Omak, Bayview, Priest River, Rosalia, Chewelah, and Wallace. They’re just some of 114 communities across the lower 48 states, almost all in the west, that broke their summer records this year.

source: Climate Central

The outlook for fall is a mixed bag in the Northwest. Much of the west is expected to stay warm, including southern Idaho and Oregon. Most of Eastern Washington and North Idaho have equal chances for above, below, or near-average temperatures through the end of November according to the latest climate outlook.