As a gentleman of a certain age, I can vividly recall hearing accounts of the still-famed and insidious New York heat wave in 1977. This was the so-called “Summer of Sam” wherein the city was besieged by blistering heat, power outages and a serial killer to boot. Growing up in the placid, temperate climes of Central California, I had zero experience with, nor could I imagine what a “heat wave” really, truly was.
As I write this very sentence, it is 105 degrees and raining ashes. It is also the 57th consecutive day of the most extreme and protracted heat wave in the Inland Northwest’s recorded history. For nearly two months, temperatures have averaged 97 degrees including several peaks in excess of 106. It reduces New York’s somehow infamous 10-day, 97 degree ‘Summer of Sam,” to little more than a fleeting inconvenience.
Neither me, nor my community has ever experienced anything quite like this. In short, it has been astonishingly brutal. Personally, it has also been simultaneously infuriating, demoralizing and epiphanous. To be clear, in what follows, my intent is not to necessarily whinge about the heat per se, but rather to share the profound psychological impact it has had on me.
In early June, word came down from our pals at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration that El Sol was ready to bust out his heat-hammer for an early Summer beat-down. Initial expectations indicated about 7-10 days in the low triple-digits. I thought I’d avoided shit like this when I left So. Cal., but whatever, I could handle this with no problem. I figured I could skip out on my usual outdoor exercise for a week and lay low indoors to write some music, read and play a few games. After procuring 17-pounds of popsicles, I set my AC to 76 and was ready to fight the good fight.
After the initial 7 days of blistering heat, a couple okf things began to become very clear. The first of which was that the heat was going to continue. Updated reports from NOAA quickly pivoted to projections of 30-45 days of excessive temperatures. Secondly, I began to experience some emerging psychological impacts.
At first, I was not particularly concerned, but it was becoming incrementally more arduous with each passing day. After about 14 days, it was clear I had fallen into a negative reinforcing feedback loop that was being driven by a peculiar equation. Since it was too hot to be outside, I was unable to do my usual 4 miles of walking every day. I did try a couple of times, but even in the early morning it would still trigger my heat-related health condition and I would be reduced to a sodden, fatigued mess in short order.
If the absence of outdoor exercise was not enough, I also ran up against the corresponding issue of being trapped indoors, something I actually despise. The added bonus was having to constantly breathe recycled air and have the windows shut. I was very grateful to have AC, but after a month, it was beginning to feel like I was in a cage with golden bars. And that’s when my spirit really began to flag.
When I was outside, I was an agitated, irritable and uncomfortable, sweaty mess. Isolated and indoors, I began to experience insomnia which fueled the aforementioned symptoms. Somewhere after the first month, I didn’t feel like doing much of anything. Paralyzed by listlessness, I was beginning to slip.
CRAZY FROM THE HEAT
Once I noticed the symptoms, as is my wont, I began to research academic articles on the psychological impact of prolonged heat exposure and quickly realized that what I was experiencing was, by no means, unusual. Not surprising, this has been the subject of extensive study and its been proven that extreme heat is associated with a range of mental health impacts.
Symptoms include all the usual suspects such as irritability, depression, and suicide. Moreover, it can “contribute to increased aggression, incidence of domestic violence and increased use of alcohol or other substances to cope with stress.” If that weren’t enough, research has also linked high temperatures to “problems with memory, attention, and reaction time. Sleep difficulties associated with extreme heat can contribute to and further exacerbate mental health symptoms.” Things can get extremely frightening for those who have preexisting mental health disorders.
There was some comfort of sorts knowing my individual experience was not unique. Just like the title of David Lee Roth’s horrible album, I was essentially “crazy from the heat.” Levity aside, at least I was well aware of what I was dealing with and could hopefully deploy some effective countermeasures.
Things were always at their nadir when I was at home with very little human social interaction, so I made an effort to get out as much as possible. I found when I was with friends, in social situations, or meeting new people, I felt close to my usual self. I made sure my weekends were booked and took advantage of some of the weekdays to do my volunteering and even just talking on the phone seemed to help. I also had a couple of multi-day trips in there as well.
THE SKY’S GONE OUT
All of this certainly shored up my mental defenses, but then nature’s second salvo came with another pulverizing blow. Fires. Fires and smoke. By late-July it was now deemed one of the worst fire seasons in the state of Washington. While grateful that none threatened my specific vicinity, I was encircled by 5 fires in a 60-mile radius with a total of over 100,000 acres ablaze. The smoke was (and continues to be) pervasive. The sky had, literally, gone out. At times, going outside is simply not an option as the quality of air is legitimately perilous to health. Even locked inside with windows shut, the house reeks of smoke while the heat continues. I don’t believe Dante had a circle of Hell allocated to this, but he certainly should have.
I kept at my social activities as best I could, but this secondary issue made things much, much worse. By early August, I was pretty beaten down. I wasn’t exercising and my appetite had dwindled. I went from reading a book every 48 hours to less than one a week. My articles were being written on the day of publishing, rather than weeks ahead. I stopped playing music altogether. One day, when the heat and smoke were particularly bad, for the first time in my life, I couldn’t think of a reason to even get out of bed. I was severely dispirited and spun-out.
HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN
But, I persevered. I discovered my two greatest personal assets in this situation. The first of which is my steadfast commitment to routine. A key part of my daily ritual is getting out of bed early, showering, dressing and butlering the cats. This never fails to happen, irrespective of what’s going on. Moreover, chores are always done at their respective times and other commitments always honored. This routine definitely helped. I can see how easy it might have been to totally succumb to the lack of motivation and lethargy.
The second is my general sense of optimism. It helped being aware of what was occurring psychologically and how to combat it. I also knew that it would not last forever, that it was fleeting. Yes, it is miserable; a wretched tribulation, but not permanent. It also helped that I have always had something to enjoy each week, with a full docket of adventure on the horizon.
I am now typing this paragraph as part of my final edit to prove my point above. Today is the first day in 59 where the temperature is below 90. In fact, today’s high is 65. It’s shockingly cool and breezy and seems exceedingly foreign, but very welcome. In addition, it is forecasted to be in the mid-70s for the foreseeable future. While the smoke is still prevalent, it has dissipated slightly. I just finished packing my gear for a 3-day kayaking camping trip that I leave for tomorrow.
But, wait? Listen! Could this really be? After so long? Yes. Yes, the firmament, alas, does weep. And after nearly 5 months, here comes the rain again.
I feel jubilant. I feel triumphant. I feel cleansed.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you been subjected to a heat wave this year or in the past? How did you fare? As always, I’d love to hear from you!
As you know, I’ve been staying not far from you all summer so I absolutely feel every bit of what you said. Despite having lived the last several years in Florida, and generally being a big fan of the heat and a hater of the cold, I too found this INW summer unbearable. As my time here draws to an end, I have been feeling some frustration at not having accomplished everything I wanted to during the last few months. I’ve had to remind myself that some of the trails I wanted to hike and activities I had planned to do were skipped not because of laziness, but because they were on fire. The oppressive smoke made even my happy, healthy lungs angry, and it brought less healthy, happy patients in droves to the ED where I work.
I too have been enjoying the cooler temperatures over the last week. However, the initial big rainstorm we received completely flooded our ED and part of the rest of the hospital, while I was working of course!
Hi Eryn and thanks for the comment. Yep, we both took it on the chin together this summer and all of the heat-related yuckiness. The great news is that all of those trails, hikes and adventures aren’t going anywhere and you can always come back to appreciate them under better weather. Yikes on the flooding, we got a bit of it out this way, but not nearly as bad as you describe. Anyway, here’s to a fantastic (and much cooler) Fall!
Glad it’s cooled off for you up there!
We moved to central Arizona a couple years ago and the heat in the summer is brutal! Usually it’s a dry heat which isn’t terrible, but in July and August the humidity is up and the temps are 110+. I can totally relate to your observations about how negatively the heat and inability to get outside.
I started a pretty nice morning routine earlier this year – taking a long walk & then reading a book outside with my coffee first thing. I tried to keep it up earlier in the summer, but eventually it was just ruining my mood more than helping it. So that routine has gone to shit the past couple months and with it my healthy eating habits and motivation to do much of anything. We’re still waiting for our cool down, but I think it’s finally coming soon!
Hi Mrs. RFL and thanks for the comment. Arizona, eh? You’re tres intrepid. I think I’d last…well, not too long. Yep, it’s interesting how little I thought about being outside all the time, until I couldn’t. It really did mess me up and grateful it’s all over now. Sorry to hear you’re contenting with many of the same heart-related mental challenges, but it’s a bit nice to know, it’s not just me. Hang in there and here’s to a temperate Fall!
Welcome to our world down here in South Arkansas. The difference is that it has always been brutally hot every summer here and very humid as well. We just kind of ignore it, we run in it in the mornings and play tennis outside in 100 deg F plus conditions in the afternoons. You have to hydrate but its safe enough, we are in our sixties and I’ve never seen anyone get heat exhaustion on the courts who lives here. It is rough on anyone who has a heat related health issue, and its tough on people who don’t routinely see hot weather. In your case that’s a double whammy. We actually drove up to Northern Wyoming a couple of weeks ago to hike and after two days we gave up, it was just too blasted hot to have fun even at 9,000 feet! Plus there was a little bit of smoke to aggravate my asthma. The weird thing was it was cooler in Arkansas than it was in Wyoming. Looking at the temperature map it looks like you guys have finally gotten some cooler weather as you said, and now we are getting baked again, which is exactly what we deserve for living here in swamp country.
Hey, Steve and it’s great to hear from you. Yes, cooler weather has prevailed, finally. It was a very rough patch indeed. Funny about how AK was cooler than WY. Same here with the average temperature being hotter than Phoenix during the worst of it. Definitely odd. Sounds like you had a nice time in WY and a great hike despite the heat. Stay cool and dry down there and here’s to a temperate Fall!
You know, I’ve long been jealous of the lack of heatwaves your area has been known to avoid. With high humidity that makes 90 degrees feel like it’s over 100 and my oven of a house, I quickly tire of the extreme heat. I also get debilitating headaches from the high humidity. This summer my a/c compressor died during a heatwave and has yet to replaced. But all that is nothing in comparison to what you’re dealing with. The heat is bad enough, the smoke from the wildfires, I can only imagine, is suffocating and frightening. I’ve experienced the smoke in Tahoe, and it made my allergies miserable. I hope it’s finally passing for you.
Hi Katie and thanks for the comment. Yep, 2 months of heat was ridiculous. Gratefully it cooled permanently the day I published the article (of course)! The smoke was just awful in so many ways. However, unlike your neck of the woods, no humidity. That is also debilitating, particularly with a broken AC. Hope you’re staying cool and here’s to an early, spectacular Fall 😁
The heat can definitely bring on the discomfort. It ravages the bay area for a week or two every year, made especially worse because of the lack of AC in the majority of bay area households. The smoke from fires is what I particularly despise and brings on similar cabin fever episodes like you describe. When its hot I can’t even open the windows to cool off the house because of the smoke. Sadly this is our future and it only looks to get worse as the climate change disaster snowballs along. As I write this the sun is a blazing Tatooine red and the visibility outside is marred by thick acidic smoke. I too cannot wait for the rains, but unfortunately we haven’t had much in the last few years out here in Norcal…but at least there’s no smoke in the latter months.
Thanks for the comment, Noel. “Blazing Tattoine red.” Great line! It’s been interesting with 2 months of heat and now the smoke. Urgh! Oddly, the day this article was published, it cooled down to the 70s and the air cleared a bit. If I knew all it took was a silly post, I would have kicked this thing out 7 weeks ago! Stay cool in No. Cal. and hope that smoke clears soon!
Brutal–I can’t stand the heat. Probably prefer extreme cold weather if given the choice. At least I have heat! In the Bay Area, the temperature is so moderate that nobody really has AC–nor needs it, except for a few days a year when it is pretty uncomfortable. Stay cool!
Hey IF and thanks for the comment! Totally agree. I’ll take to cold any day. At least with that, you can layer up, crank the heat and stay warm. With the heat, once you’re nekkid, that’s about it. Gratefully, it’s been cool this week. I actually wore long pants today!
Hey, Mr. Fate, I’m really glad you’ve made it through. And, presumably, you’re prepping to be (or already are) out paddling, listlessly across some beautiful aquamarine flattop—ready to gaze up at what nature has brought that’s not the frying pan you’ve left.
Be safe, and be well.
Thanks for the comment, Chris and hope you and the Mrs. are well. Yes, I just got back from 4 days of insane adventure and spellbinding beauty on the kayak trip. It was mid-70s and clear skies. Perfect! As you say, I did, in fact, make it through!
Initially I read the line as “buttered the cats” and I had so many questions, but then I re-read it. Haha, anyhow.
That’s a rough patch you’re going through up there, both externally and internally. I wish I could say this is probably a fluke event, but I fear that you may experience something like this most summers going forward. We visited WA just a few years ago, and in our two weeks there the temperature might not have breached 80 degrees. It was beautiful. I hope you get back to normal soon!
Down here in VA it has been very hot and pretty humid for some weeks now. However, it’s exactly what I signed up for, and nothing out of the ordinary for this locale and this time of year. I’ve been going out for walks early in the morning, and mostly hiding out indoors during mid-day, but otherwise it hasn’t disrupted life too much. The pool is definitely a necessity these days!
Thanks for the comment, Adam!. “Buttered” the cats! Awesome. Actually, I think that’s a great band name! Yeah, strange weather everywhere. I’m exceedingly curious to see how this Winter is going to shape up. Last year was very tame and I think this one will be tres Spring-like. Glad to hear you’re weathering the expected heat & humidity well in VA. A pool, eh? I did think about filling one of the ag tanks and soaking in it when it was bad. Add a can of awful Coors Light and I got me my own hillbilly resort!
I loved this line, “El Sol was ready to bust out his heat-hammer for an early Summer beat-down.” Hahaha. Good shit.
Last year I was in a similar situation as you. When the fires were really bad in LA, there was so much smoke you couldn’t go outside for a week. I was already going stir crazy from the COVID lockdown, but then when I couldn’t even go outside or open a window, that was tough. I had never experienced anything like that before. And like you I’m an outside person. The only thing that was keeping my wife and I sane during COVID was being able to walk our dogs each night. So when that was taken away, it sucked.
However, since it was already a trying time with COVID and the race riots, the fires on top of it with the heat kind of blended into all the other chaos.
But there’s not two ways about it – it sucks. Summer is also my least favorite month in So Cal. Never been a big fan of the excessive heat. Hope you get some good weather going soon.
Hey Q-Fi and I appreciate the kind words on the writing. High praise coming from you, for sure. Yeah man, last Sept in So. Cal. was a total shit show as you know. That week I spent down there was trying. Still grateful to have seen my friends though. “Summer Sucks,” indeed. Let’s get some merchandising behind that slogan and we can add more coin to the FIRE coffers. In any event, as I type this, it’s been mid 70s for 4 days and rained a ton last night. El Sol’s hammer and arm must be getting tired (finally)!
I grew up in Baltimore so 100 degrees with 90% humidity was expected every summer, at least for a spurt or two. The cliche is true, it’s the high humidity along with the heat that kills ya, sweat doesn’t cool you when it can’t evaporate off your skin.
David Lee Roth, Bauhaus, & Eurythmics…. a very eclectic mix
Hey, Dave and thanks for the comment. “Sweat doesn’t cool you when it can’t evaporate off your skin.” Brilliant. Yep, what I would have given in early August to go ice climbing anywhere in the world. I’d have gladly taken my chances at death, if only to be cool! Haha.
As always, you are the a) only person to recognize the music Easter eggs and b) most importantly, nailed every one! Thanks for noticing, dude!
hang in there, mr. fate. like they used to say in new hampshire: “think it will ever stop rainin;?” “always does!” it’s best thought with the accent from those pepperidge farm commercials with the thick new england accent.
we just spent a sort of miserable week off in the northeast but without the smoke y’all deal with. we went to visit and thankfully stayed in an air conditioned house. however, we were largely confined due to nasty heat and humidity. the one day we decided to venture to see the park in town we brought the dog along for a walk. the three of us were absolutely miserable and soaked in less than an hour without doing anything strenuous. we were just walking…strolling if you will. even with that things sound particularly nasty at your place this year. ouch.
Pepperidge Farms? “Do you remember?” Bonus points awarded for the gloriously obscure reference, Sir F.! Oddly, it did stop heating, the day this article was published! Wish I did it sooner. Haha. Agreed. The heat is on all of us, apparently. Dude, it’s that being confined thing that gets me. In any event, let’s raise a virtual glass of vino for a toast to cooler climes, my man! Cheers!