Still Life with Robin: Are You Ready for 100?

 

by Peggy Robin

They all say it's coming. The National Weather Service, Capital Weather Gang, Accu-weather. They're unanimous. Tomorrow (Sunday) will be the worst day of an oppressive heat wave. Expect to see the thermometer hit 99 degrees with a heat index of 103. We're just about to join the heat alert club. Twenty-six states out of fifty are there already. That's 90 million of us.

At least it's not as bad here as in Philadelphia where the expected high tomorrow is 103 with a heat index of 107 (!). 

Are you prepared? Here are some tips to help you see your way through to the other side:

Don't crank your A/C up but set your thermostat a few degrees warmer than you normally like. Better to have it uncomfortably warm inside than overwork your A/C and risk having it conk out on you. That will help with your energy bill, too..

Fans, fans, fans. For those of us with older, inefficient central air systems or single-unit condensers where we should have two-zone systems, a few fans can help blow cooler air from cooler parts of the house to hotter ones. 

Cut out the glaring sun. Keep shades drawn on windows that get morning or evening glare. (Duh, you've known that for years!)

Don't add to the heat by using hot appliances. It's not a good day to blow-dry your hair, iron your clothes, or do any long, slow cooking in your oven. 

Eat cold food. Tomorrow is the best day for gazpacho! 

Don't do much of anything. Not a good day to go running, biking, or any other strenuous activity in the sun. Here's your excuse to get out of mowing the lawn or weeding the garden. But if you absolutely must, do it in the early morning hours -- and stay hydrated. 

Get out of town! I wish I were taking this advice starting tomorrow. I'm actually going to the mountains of upstate New York on Tuesday, when the worst of the heat wave will be behind us. But for anyone who can clear out of DC now....I envy you! It's been in the 70s in the Adirondacks during the day and in the low 60s at night. How does Akureyri, Iceland sound? The high tomorrow will be 60 under partly cloudy conditions and the nighttime low will be a chilly 40 degrees F. And it's a lovely little town! Last minute trip, anyone?

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays