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SALT LAKE CITY — July 2016 was a hot one, but take heart: Salt Lake didn't beat the record for consecutive days of 100-degree temperatures and higher.
That was set in 2002 with 10 consecutive days at the century mark and higher between July 15 and July 24, according to the National Weather Service.
And that 104 degrees last Tuesday? Not a record for July either. That was 107 degrees back in 2002, according to the National Weather Service.
And while one more 100 degree day is in the forecast this week — Tuesday — the KSL Weather Center is forecasting temperatures in the 90s the remainder of the week, hitting the low 90s Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a possibility of thunderstorms.
Nick Wagstaff, who was at The Gateway's Olympic Legacy Fountain on Sunday afternoon with his wife, Heidi, and their daughters, Ellenore, 5, and Layla, 2, welcomed cooler temperatures forecast for the week.
"That's fantastic," he said.
Heidi Wagstaff said the family's kiddie pool had helped them weather the worst of the summer, as well as playing in splash pads and going camping.
"It's very hot. It's why we're where the water is," she said.
A week ago, the family traveled to Bryce Canyon.
"It was only in the mid-80s. That seemed downright cold," Nick Wagstaff said.
While the Wagstaffs said they welcome lower temperatures, low humidity and thunderstorms in the forecast mean increased fire danger. The National Weather Service says the Salt Lake and central Utah deserts remain under a red flag warning due to dry conditions, heat and the threat of thunderstorms.
For the coming months, the National Weather Service is forecasting above normal temperatures through September, so plan on wearing the summer wardrobe a little while longer.
For Shawna Mullins, also at The Gateway fountain with two granddaughters and one grandson, beating the heat requires staying in the shade and finding water-based activities or things to do in air-conditioned buildings like skating.
"My oldest son went to Lagoon," Mullins said. "I said, "Eh, it's just too hot.'"
