- Record heat likely Sunday = First Alert Weather Day
- Staying warm all next week
- No wet systems for at least another week
We got plenty of warm sunshine Saturday afternoon in the Portland area, with highs climbing into the mid 70s. Kelso got to 80 degrees! A bit more cloud cover to our south kept Salem and Eugene in the 60s.
There was a decent amount of lightning activity on radar through the morning hours as well, with almost 600 lightning strikes in the last 24 hours. Most of it happened in the foothills and Cascades to our south, but we did get some metro area reports, too. Thunderstorm energy should dissipate tonight, but there’s still a slight chance of a pop-up shower or rumble of thunder in the Cascades/foothills south of Salem and in central Oregon Sunday afternoon and evening.
RECORD HEAT LIKELY ON SUNDAY
We’re still on track to see record-warm temperatures Sunday thanks to strong high pressure overhead and offshore (easterly) wind. Many metro area spots will likely touch 90 degrees, which is why we are calling Sunday a First Alert Weather Day. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the metro area along with the Cowlitz and Clark county lowlands.
If our forecast holds- Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro, McMinnville, Salem, Eugene and Astoria will all set or tie warm temperature records in the afternoon. We could challenge some daily warm low temperatures, too. That being said– it’ll stay fairly comfortable until about noon.
WARM AIR, COLD WATER
Even though it will feel hot outside, rivers and lakes will still be very cold and fast-moving.
That combination can be dangerous. Cold water can shock your body quickly, even on a warm day. If you’re heading near the water, take it seriously and use proper safety gear.
STAYING WARM NEXT WEEK
The record heat is thankfully short-lived, with highs expected to drop back down into the 70s Monday and beyond. The ridge of high pressure weakens a bit next week but lingers, with a switch to more westerly flow by next weekend. That means we expect high temperatures to stay warmer than average through the next work week- but likely no warmer than the 70s. The push of marine air at the end of the week will get us back down into the low 70s or potentially cooler if we get enough cloud cover…