Triple digits loom as region on alert for record breaker
In a cool calculation, Mike and Sheila Sacks chose Boston as the ideal spot for a late-spring getaway. The Pennsylvania couple envisioned celebrating their first wedding anniversary in comfort and style, basking in a soft early June sun and a mild breeze off the water.
But New England weather defies prediction, and the pair arrived as a cool spring was scorched into submission by a near-historic heat wave. Their hoped-for oasis was looking more like a hot, hazy mirage.
"We decided to come here because we thought it would be cooler," said Mike Sacks, 25. "I guess we were wrong."
The Sacks had better brace themselves. The untimely sizzler, with temperatures nearly 20 degrees above normal, will probably intensify today, with temperatures expected to approach triple digits inland, and thick humidity that will make it feel that much hotter. Yesterday's high was 94 as recorded in Fitchburg, according to Glenn Field, of the National Weather Service in Taunton. It was 93 at Logan International Airport, as well as in Bedford, Lawrence, Taunton, and Westfield, he said.
"We are expecting record-breaking heat," said Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton. Forecasters expect a sea breeze to slightly temper the heat along the coast, but Boston's record high of 96 degrees, set in 1984, could be in jeopardy. Temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s again tomorrow before an evening cool front brings some relief. The normal high for this date in the Boston area is a comfortable 75 degrees.
Health officials warned people, particularly the young, elderly, and those with respiratory illnesses, to stay indoors, avoid strenuous activity, and stay well-hydrated. There were no reported heat-related injuries in Massachusetts, but three people drowned in separate incidents in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
In Dorchester, some 160 people visited the Holland Community Center, where people without air conditioning can cool off. "There were probably a dozen kids waiting to get into the pool when we opened this morning," said Raul Borday, building manager. "Word of mouth definitely got out quick."
All Boston Centers for Youth & Families will be open as cooling centers today, said Sandy Holden, a spokeswoman for the centers. Facilities that are housed in schools will open after classes, she said. During heat emergencies, the centers are free to the public.
But the Sacks, like many residents in and around Boston yesterday, weren't about to let the extreme heat slow them down. They saw the sights and made the rounds, even downing a bread bowl of steaming fish chowder in Quincy Market.
In that spirit, thousands thronged to area beaches, soaking up rays and splashing in the chilly, shallow water. Couples picnicked on the Boston Common, lazily tossing Frisbees and reading page-turners, while families fished off Columbia Point. Revere Beach roared back to life with its unique brand of sun-soaked cheer, and the Castle Island snack shop bustled like it was mid-July.
Maybe summer was a bit rude to arrive so abruptly at full steam, many said, but it had blessedly arrived. After such a long absence, all was forgiven.
"You can't complain about the heat after the miserable winters we have here," said Matt Kinback, 22, as he sunbathed in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park.
Still, temperatures in the low 90s, with sweltering humidity, did produce some grumbling. Children on their way to church sweltered in their Sunday best, and Little Leaguers struggled to keep the sweat out of their eyes to see the incoming pitch.
Families sought air-conditioned refuge in malls and movie theaters, preferring to while away the afternoon in climate-controlled comfort.
Camped under a tree along the South Boston waterfront, Nicole Bennett, 23, stared blankly at the water, looking a bit dazed. Despite the intense heat, her friend had insisted on rollerblading around Castle Island.
She survived, but when he urged her to accompany him on a second loop, she retreated to the first shade she could find.
"I didn't sign up for this," she said, a weak smile over her flushed face. "I'd had enough."
Down the beach, Arsen Janikian, 50, of Watertown, smoked a cigarette under a beachside tree. He would have preferred an air-conditioned afternoon, he said. But his 12-year-old daughter beseeched him for a trip to the beach.
"My opinion is, we stay home," he said.
Across the street, Fred Nee, who helps run Pleasure Bay Beach, predicted a busy summer. With high gas prices and a sputtering economy, families will forego vacations for days at the closest beach, he said.
"People might have put money away to rent a cottage on the Cape, but now they're thinking about filling the oil tank this winter," he said. "It's not going to get better for a while, so you have to cut back."
Nearby, Natalie Hernandez, 40, watched as her friend's daughter dashed into the bay to cool off. Hernandez was baking in the midday sun, too, but not quite enough to brave a 50-degree dip. Anna Quinones, a 6 1/2-year-old from Jamaica Plain, soon felt the same way, making a shivering U-turn back to the warm sand.
"That's enough," she said. "I'm cold now."
Globe correspondent Caitlin Castello contributed to this report.
