Heat shatters records five days straight

By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter

Five days of record-breaking heat has meant quiet afternoons at Libby's Cabinet View Country Club.

"At 7:30 this morning (Monday) we were booked solid, but now (by 9:30 a.m.) the tee times are really quiet," said pro shop manager George Beeks. "They'll be done by noon and we'll be watching TV all by our lonesome."

Libby since Thursday, July 20, has broken daily temperature records that date as far back as 1919, said Al Kolata, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula. It's also been 20 to 25 degrees hotter than the normal 79 to 80 degrees for mid to late July.

Thursday's high of 94 degrees broke a record of 89 degrees set in 1958, Friday's 98 broke a record of 94 set in 1928; Saturday's 104 broke a record of 93 set in 1919; Sunday's107 broke a record of 93 set in 2001; and Monday's 107 broke a record of 97 set in 2001.

There is an end in sight.

"We're looking at a real slow cooling trend, with a high of 95 on Wednesday," Kolata said. "Temperatures for the rest of the week through Saturday will stay in the low 90s and it might drop into the upper 80s (after that)."

Libby isn't the only hot spot in Montana. Sunday's high in Jordan was 103; Billings, 102; Roundup, 106; and Thompson Falls, 104.

The heat is keeping many indoors, but it didn't ruin Saturday's 50th wedding anniversary party at Roosevelt Park for Gary and Ann Wilson of Libby. Many of their guests waded in the Kootenai River.

"Most everyone was in the water to keep cool," said Ann Wilson.

They also went through several cases of water.

"We couldn't keep the water cold," she said. "We had coolers to keep drinks in and we kept rotating them in."

Irene Regh kept cool this weekend by staying home.

"I was inside the majority of the time cleaning my house," said Regh, who with her husband, Jim, owns J.L. Regh General Contractors Inc. in Libby.

During the weekend-long Two Rivers Rendezvous at Fawn Creek Campground, mountain men, women and children tried to keep cool in the shade.

"We also went down to the Fisher River," said Lenny Pauley of Libby, a member of Kootenai Muzzleloaders who hosted the 11th annual event.

Patches fired from muzzleloaders during competitions triggered two small fires. Organizers stopped the competition at 2 p.m. Sunday to avoid more fires, Pauley said.

Tearing down camp on Sunday "was hot."

"It was very hot," Pauley said. "We drank lots of water and took lots of breaks."

Libby's Barb Desch spent Sunday with her family at Middle Thompson Lake.

"It was wonderful," said Desch. "The water was fantastic. It felt like bath water."

She kept cool throughout the night with fan, but wasn't too sure about Monday afternoon.

"Our air conditioning (at the office) isn't working so I don't know if I'll make it through," said Desch, who co-owns R Office bookkeeping service with Tony Berget.