June is considered to be the start of Meteorological Summer, and it sure seems like the thermometer will agree. A large ridge of high pressure will keep our high temperatures in the low 90s Thursday, the mid-90s on Friday and within shouting distance of 100 degrees on Saturday. All that heat will start to allow a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms on Sunday with a better chance on Monday. If we do hit triple digits on Saturday (June 4) it will be the earliest 100 degree reading in Reno since official records have been kept.

So how does a swamp cooler work? It’s basically a large box with three slotted air intakes, and one exhaust vent which blows into your house. A small water pump feeds a slotted trough above absorptive mats which cover the air intakes. Water trickles down through the mats, which are permeable enough to allow air to be drawn through. A simple squirrel cage fan draws the hot (dry) air through the soaked mats, evaporating the water and cooling the air which is then blown into your house. They are extremely economical, using about 10% of the electricity of a standard AC unit, and can make a house comfortable even in triple digit outside temperatures.