Hot Monday shatters temperature record

By 4:30 p.m. Monday, Kalispell already had shattered its record high temperature for June 8, with the mercury topping 94 degrees at Glacier Park International Airport.

The record for that date was 89 degrees set in 1948.

“It could get hotter,” National Weather Service Hydrologist Ray Nickless cautioned Monday afternoon, noting the temperature generally peaks by 6 p.m.

It was a scorching day in other Northwest Montana communities as well.

Libby reached 98 degrees, Plains 96 and Polson 93 on Monday afternoon.

Kalispell isn’t likely to break another heat record Tuesday. The Weather Service is forecasting a high of 89 degrees, but the record for June 9 is 95 set in 1918.

“1918 was a brutally hot year,” Nickless said.

High temperatures are forecast to gradually decline through the week, with predicted highs of 84 on Wednesday, 85 Thursday, 80 Friday and 74 Saturday.

The week should be dry as well as hot. Wednesday night’s 20 percent chance of showers is the only precipitation in the forecast.

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.