Hot weather is here

Yamhill County residents have been wishing for warm, sunny days – but maybe not quite as hot as the weather will be this weekend.

Forecasters are predicting temperatures in the low 90s Saturday and Monday with a high nearing 100 on Sunday. Overnight lows should drop into the 60s.

Along with the heat will come plenty of sunshine. Clear, sunny days will continue through next week as temperatures return to more normal late June temperatures in the high 70s during the day and the high 50s overnight.

The summer’s first heatwave will coincide with several community events, such as the Wine Country Pride Street Fair and related activities, Carlton Fun Days, Hay Day at the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center, the mug drags in Willamina and the Relay for Life in Dayton.

Health officials are warning people engaging in outdoor activities to wear sunscreen, stay hydrated and take advantage of shade when they can. They’re also reminding Oregonians that despite the heat, rivers and lakes are still quite cold, so swimmers need to use caution.

In anticipation of the 90-plus degree temperatures, many emergency cooling shelters will be opening over the weekend.

In McMinnville, shelters open during the day and evening include the public library, Friday and Saturday; First Baptist Church, Saturday through Monday; Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission, Friday through Sunday; Northwest Christian Church, Friday through Sunday; Provoking Hope, Friday; McMinnville Cooperative Ministries, Saturday morning during the breakfast program. Water should be available in parks.

In Newberg, cooling centers include the Newberg Emergency Shelter, the Chehalem Cultural Center, Northwest Christian Church, Youth Outreach and the Newberg Public Library.

Emergency cooling shelters will be open in several other cities around Yamhill County. They include:

n Dayton: Community center, 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday through Monday; Dayton Baptist Church, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

n Dundee: Fire station, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

n Sheridan: Sheridan Baptist Church, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

n Yamhill: Yamhill Carlton High School, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Monday.

In addition, in the West Valley, the Grand Ronde Fire Station, 28480 McPherson Road, the West Valley Community Campus and the Willamina Public Library will distribute water during the weekend.