By Max Mogensen,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – With temperatures in the 80s as late as 6 p.m. Saturday and with humidity above 50 percent, residents were certainly feeling the summer heat.

“It didn’t just feel hot, it felt really humid,” said Nate Cote, 15, of Lewiston, speaking from the gazebo in Kennedy Park.

“I’d rather have the rain,” said Christy Oliver, 17, also of Lewiston.

But Oliver’s friend, Mike Hensler, 16, of Lewiston, was thankful for the sun and high temperatures. Out walking his pet snake, Hensler said that he “didn’t mind the heat. The snake likes it.”

The snake, Patience, attracted a small crowd as she was “walked” through the park, slithered into a scaly ball in Hensler’s hands. “She likes the heat,” said Hensler, “I can come out and walk her a couple times a day.” Patience, who appeared to be at least four-feet long, was interrupted on her sunny outing as Hensler let a number of children pet or hold her.

Patience acted as calmly as her name would suggest, despite the action, apparently happy to be outside after many weeks of rain and clouds.

And Patience was not the only one who preferred the sun to the rain.

Yassir Abdelkadir, 12, of Lewiston, had been outside playing all day, he said Saturday evening. “I can take it,” said Abdelkadir, “It’s pretty hot, but it’s nice if the wind’s blowing. You can relax at the pool.”

Others found related ways to beat the heat.

“I’ve only gone swimming five times,” said Keosha Pontoo, 15, of Lewiston. Pontoo and friend Keisha Williams, 17, also of Lewiston, admitted that the weather was not too bad, so long as the pool was open.

Abdelkadir and Pontoo seemed to be the exception yesterday, however, as most residents were forced to slow down in the heat and humidity.

Edwardo Ascano, 59, visiting Lewiston from El Paso, Texas, said it felt hotter Saturday than the recorded temperature. “I prefer the winter,” said Ascano, sitting on a bench in Kennedy Park.

According to the National Weather Service, the high temperature yesterday in Lewiston was 86 degrees, although extremely high humidity put relative temperatures in the low- to mid-90s. The National Weather Service monitors and predicts weather for the Androscoggin area using a weather station located in Gray.

According to The Weather Channel’s Weather.com, Friday’s high temperature of 91 degrees was nine degrees above the average and nine degrees away from the record high, set in 2002.

The city might not have to wait long to see the weather change, however. According to the National Weather Service, clouds and the chance of thunderstorms are predicted for all of next week until Friday.

Still, in between the showers, the temperatures are expected to reach the mid- to high-80s. (Let’s hope they don’t close the pools.)

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