Early heat wave hits before pools open
A week after one could comfortably sport a sweatshirt outside, an unusual late spring mini-heat wave rolled into the region Tuesday with a high of 90 degrees, but the coronavirus precluded some of the traditional ways to cool off.
That high temperature wouldn’t be as unusual if it were July or August, but it was about 20 degrees above the normal temperature for this time of year, said John Darnley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Moon.
According to the NWS’ climate data, the 30-year average temperature for June is 68.7 degrees. The current hot weather is caused by a warm subtropical system making its way through the middle of the heartland, Mr. Darnley said.
Tuesday’s high temperature flirted with the 87-yearold record of 94 degrees, set in 1933. The region will have the chance to break the June 10 record on Wednesday when the high temperature is forecast to be a steamy 94 degrees.
As the mercury climbed throughout the day, residents were unable to find relief in swimming pools or cooling centers as the region continues to cautiously reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several area pools have announced plans to open for the season in the coming weeks, but normally they would be open now.
“We were talking about that. We’ve had to go through so much to get it open but boy would it have been nice to be open today, said Shaler Manager Timothy Rogers of the town’s Crawford Pool. Shaler plans to reopen the pool on Saturday with strict guidelines such as designated swim shifts and online registration.
Cranberry announced plans to open its pool June 20.
Meanwhile, some residents of Whitehall gave borough Manager Jim Leventry a call asking to open the stillclosed Whitehall Swimming Pool. Mr. Leventry said he hoped that the borough’s recreation committee would make a decision soon. The Whitehall pool draws up to 150 people a day, he said.
Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials announced in May that their pools would not open this year.
Cooling centers are normally established in senior centers throughout the Pittsburgh area. With the threat of coronavirus infection still looming, Mayor Bill Peduto’s office made the decision not to open.
“When you factor in how seniors are at risk from the virus, we can’t open the senior centers,” said Tim McNulty, a spokesman for the mayor’s office.
Without pools or cooling centers, many turned to the sweet relief of ice cream.
“We’ve been doing this for months,” said Julie Mignosi, of Squirrel Hill, in between bites of hot fudge sundae at Allegheny Ice Cream in Highland Park. The sun had already started to melt her treat, but Ms. Mignosi said she didn’t want to be inside.
“I don’t think that’s smart. It’s beautiful out here,” she said, gesturing to the view of the Allegheny River in the valley below the shop. “It feels fabulous.”
Ms. Mignosi shared the warm weather with Patrick Benton, a real estate agent from Regent Square who was working on a banana split. They called it an “ice cream dinner.”
While an employee at Allegheny Ice Cream said the flow of customers had been steady all day, other establishments reported fewer customers than normal because of the heat.
“This evening it will probably get busy. During the heat of the day they stay inside,” said Terry Lutz, who owns Brr-Kee’s Ice Cream in Oakmont with her husband Tim. An employee at Glen’s Custard in Springdale also expected a late-afternoon crowd.
A cold front is expected to move through the area Wednesday night that will bring seasonably normal temperatures. Thursday’s high temperature is forecast to be 80 degrees with a chance of showers.