As you might expect, the scorching weather is leading to some shortages at local stores, from popsicles and ice to fans and air conditioners.
We stopped by Ballard Market last evening for an icy treat and found the freezer shelves were running low. Even the bags of ice were almost sold out.
We found a few bags of ice this morning at Fred Meyer and quite a few popsicles. Unfortunately, they’re already sold out of their most recent shipment of fans. We spoke with one woman who grabbed two of the last ones. She says she had already been to two other stores before coming to Ballard, “I was frantic!”
Cheryl emailed us last night to say that Home Depot just got a new shipment of air conditioners. We called the Bitter Lake store and they are already sold out. They do have another delivery of 100 portable a/c units coming in at 5 p.m. If you’ve been lucky enough to find some of these hot items, please let everyone know in comments when and where you found them…
In the forum: How hot has it been inside your house?
22 reader comments so far ↓
1 NoraBell // Jul 29, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Yeah, was hoping to get a box of Skinny Cow cones last night but they went quickly. Settled for a pint of B & J Phish Food. The diet Gods are laughing.
2 chopper_74 // Jul 29, 2009 at 6:03 pm
The diet Gods must have a/c…
3 RudyT // Jul 29, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I too was looking for a healthier option but settled for a tub of dreyers chocolate chip cookie dough… mmmmmm
4 RIPKingdome // Jul 29, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I stocked up on popsicles & sherbert last night at the Crown Hill QFC :) They seemed to have plenty at around 9:30pm last night!
my family lives in Snohomish County… my stepdad went to the Everett Sears & stood in line before they opened to get a $300. a/c, but the time they opened & he was able to get in there, the unit was already sold out.
my stepdad never stands in line for anything.
I work at a very poorly air conditioned movie theater… basically, unlike a typical theater where you freeze during the summer, my theater no one is cold. I dont know if the A/C is broken or if it's just not enough for the size of the building or what, but it is terrible. I just called in sick today because I've had a headache since yesterday & my asthma is a mess (& on the news they told anyone w/ asthma to take it easy), but work wasn't too happy… not sure what else I could have done. I mean, if they had better A/C it would have been a non-issue. Ugh! Sorry… I'm just really frustrated. I don't want to lose my job, but my theater needs to provide a healthy work place, too!
5 ballardrocksnow // Jul 29, 2009 at 6:24 pm
It's so hot, the Seattle Fire Department has a special response team to peel drivers from vinyl seats.
6 ballardrocksnow // Jul 29, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I saw this all the time in the midwest. Now wait until tonight when all the hardware stores get flooded with the same a/c buyers for fuses.
7 ballardrocksnow // Jul 29, 2009 at 6:29 pm
They're on a tight leash if they fire you for health verifiable reasons. Anyway sounds like they may have frozen their A/C unit if they are over working it. The only option is to thaw it out.
8 Silver // Jul 29, 2009 at 7:24 pm
At about noon today I heard a message on the scanner that said something like “Special weather procedures are now in effect.” We must have reached some magic temperature. ;-(
9 gooner // Jul 29, 2009 at 7:25 pm
i got one of costco's last ac units on friday, it has been a life saver. i am half tempted to buy another….. but other than the next few days, 2 is a bit excessive. especially at $500 a pop.
10 johneddy // Jul 29, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I wonder how Cash and Carry's inventory is on the frozen snacks.
11 Black_Sheep // Jul 29, 2009 at 8:39 pm
TJ's was well-stocked when I was there.
12 ballardrocksnow // Jul 29, 2009 at 8:56 pm
It's so hot I'm sweating like a priest at a little league game.
13 JDballard // Jul 29, 2009 at 9:12 pm
It seems like it was just yesterday we were all stuck in our houses for a week due to snow, the stores ran out of sleds and snow shovels, the airport was out of de-icer, and people were wanting to use the mayor for target practice.
And we couldn't WAIT for the heat to get here.
14 fancynancy // Jul 29, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Its so hot that my old cat and weiner dog are packing their bags for Iceland.
15 Ernie_98107 // Jul 29, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I'm sweating like a hooker in church!
16 pagooey // Jul 29, 2009 at 11:01 pm
On that note, this *would* be an excellent time to pick up a snow shovel and a plastic toboggan…! The latter might double as a nice ice-filled footbath, at least.
17 RIPKingdome // Jul 30, 2009 at 12:15 am
that's how I see it, too…
my work can't fire me if asthmatics arn't supposed to leave the house, and the A/C doesn't work properly… a couple of weeks ago, it was only in the high 80's & I got so sick at work, that they sent me home (& I started the day feeling better than ever), and I think it was heat exhaustion.
the thing is, even since they opened, the A/C has never worked quite right. A guy comes in to fix it quite often, but we also have an entire side of the building made out of windows, so I think that perhaps the solar heating from the wall o' windows is counteracting with the A/C. Just a theory of mine!
18 chopper_74 // Jul 30, 2009 at 3:49 am
well, the target practice thingy, still good…
19 NoraBell // Jul 30, 2009 at 4:37 am
My fave response on here, fancynancy.
My cats just wish they knew how to pack. They'd be so out of here.
20 LBB // Jul 30, 2009 at 6:27 am
I'm hearing a lot of sirens tonight – I wish I had the magic scanner!
21 Jules2 // Jul 30, 2009 at 8:35 am
Bartell Drugs had fans this afternoon and I think they are expecting more shipments of air conditioners as well. I was lucky to get my A/C out of the store without being torn limb from limb- I got on their waiting list Tuesday. It was like the Seige of Leningrad…in reverse.
22 to22r // Jul 30, 2009 at 6:58 pm
[It seems like it was just yesterday we were all stuck in our houses for a week due to snow, the stores ran out of sleds and snow shovels, the airport was out of de-icer, and people were wanting to use the mayor for target practice. ]
Good times.
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