Students at Bear River are feeling the heat during the first weeks of September, with temperatures spiking into the 100s. With afternoons burning, students are trying to find ways to fight the heat and stay cool. The lunchroom is packed with first-come, first-serve for a spot at a table. Groups of people rush to the shade to find a sense of cool during their lunch, and slushies are making top dollar. 

Freshman Marlie McCullough said “It’s absolutely awful. I want to cry while taking a bath under the moon.”

“The heat freaking sucks, my room has no AC so it’s a nightmare,” freshman Quinn Taylor replied. 

“It sucks and needs to go away,” junior Bridgette Kohlbeck said. 

 While students are feeling the heat, there are a couple groups that are getting hit  hard — after-school sports teams. From golf to football, these players can’t catch a break. Junior varsity and varsity football practice has been moved to later in the afternoon to help keep their players somewhat comfortable. Other events have been cut short, moved to shadier areas or even canceled.

 But why does this time of year feel so much hotter compared to last year? Well, that’s because it is. This week’s average temperature is 104 degrees while last year, according to WeatherSpark, the average temperature was 97 degrees. That’s a huge difference.

 One reason that it is so high is the recent fires that are showing up all around our area. It’s not the fire itself, but the smoke. The smoke helps trap heat. You might have noticed how the morning air smells smoky, or how the sky looks like it’s drained of color, or even the giant columns of smoke that appear over the hills. That all contributes to the heat spikes we all have seen this week. 

According to AccuWeather, the temperature will be much cooler throughout the rest of the month.Just remember to stay cool, Bruins!