Heat wave could continue into next week

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HELENA, Mont. July 7 (AP): If a record-breaking heat wave doesn't lift soon, cattle rancher Sharon McDonald may see her hay crop turn to dust. Oppressive temperatures eased a bit Friday in some parts of the West, but McDonald's central Montana ranch baked under triple-digit heat. Forecasters reported little relief in the days ahead, saying the weather system that brought the high temperatures could last well into next week. In Montana, where cattle outnumber residents by more than 2 to 1, livestock and people sought shade and drought-weary farmers watched for damage to grain.
Extreme heat plagued much of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Washington state.
Air conditioners - and even swamp coolers - were predictably hot sellers at the hardware store.
VanDyke said some people prefer swamp coolers, which use a fan and the condensation of water to cool the air, over the more power-hungry air conditioning units.
In Montana, temperatures above 100 degrees are usually not seen until August. The normal July high in Helena is 83 degrees - not the high 90s seen Friday. Triple-digit records were set or tied in several Montana cities, including Great Falls and Billings at 104 degrees each. The mercury reached 105 in the north-central Montana town of Havre and at the Gallatin Field Airport near Bozeman.
In Utah, high school teacher Lois Wolking said she was escaping the summer heat by heading indoors. Temperatures were down a few degrees in Salt Lake City on Friday, but still hovered around 100.
Boise, Idaho reached 105 degrees Friday, and some found it too hot to play at a public water fountain.
Temperatures were expected to ease slightly in Southern California. Phoenix saw a modest drop, a somewhat cooler 112 degrees compared to 115 on Thursday. With the approach of Arizona's summer rainy season, humidity levels have started climbing along with power demand.
Heat remained an issue along the border. The bodies of six suspected illegal immigrants have been found since Monday in southern Arizona deserts, all likely victims of heat illness while trying to walk into the US from Mexico.