By Kathryn Reed

It might be time to buy sunscreen in bulk.

South Lake Tahoe has set three records this week. On June 19 it was 90 degrees, breaking the record set in 1988 of 85 degrees; on June 20 it was 90, the old record set in 1981 was 85; and on June 21 it was 87 degrees, the old record was 85 set in 1988. On June 17 the city tied the 1985 record of 85 degrees.

During this time Tahoe City has not broken any records.

A warm air mass and high pressure is causing what the National Weather Service in Reno calls a “typical summer heat wave.”

It should cool down a bit on Friday, but still be above normal. Normal would be temps in the upper 70s in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The weekend, though, is expected to back in the mid- to upper 80s at the lake, with a cool down starting on Tuesday.

“We have a system moving in; the winds will pick up and the clouds,” meteorologist Brian O’Hara told Lake Tahoe News.

The heat wave in Tahoe is breaking 30-year-old records. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The mercury will be in the upper 70s next week.

Some parts of the lake saw rain in the early evening of June 21 to start summer. There is a slight chance of moisture on Sunday night.

With this unseasonably hot weather, people are reminded not to leave pets or children in vehicles, to drink plenty of water and try to do physical activity in the morning. At the same time, remember the lake and tributaries are super cold. Just jumping in could be a bad idea because the surface temp and about 8 inches below are drastically different; that sudden cold can be debilitating.