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Heat Wave Spreads Across Pacific Northwest

August 14, 2017
UPDATED By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, James West
Milder temperatures this summer have been felt across most of the Pacific Northwest. However, a heat wave will blast much of the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin and Intermountain West through this evening.

A strong ridge of high pressure is building off the West Coast and will nudge eastward into the weekend. With abundant sunshine and low humidity, temperatures will soar this afternoon. 

The month of August in Seattle so far has seen a high temperature of 91 degrees, which was recorded last Saturday. High temperatures today will reach the lower to middle 90s, with the daily records being in jeopardy of breaking. Today's record of 87 was set 50 years ago in 1966. Bellingham will see temperatures in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees today. Today's record of 83 degrees, set back in 1958, will likely get smashed by hot temperatures.

This stagnant weather pattern will offer an extended period of heat-related risks along with an increase of a fire danger into the weekend. 

Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect for communities from Seattle, Olympia, and Tacoma, Wash., southward along coastal Oregon including the cities of Portland, Salem, and Eugene. Heat Advisories are in affect along Oregon’s Pacific coast, including Astoria, Newport and Florence, Ore. This advisory is also found in portions of southern Oregon, including Medford and along the I-5 corridor into extreme northern California.

Salem, Ore., reached 101 degrees on Friday, while Roseburg, Ore., was even hotter at 106 degrees. Yreka, Calif., reached 105 degrees. By contrast, normally hot Phoenix, Ariz., was "only" 102 degrees. Seattle reached 95 degrees, breaking its 89-degree record set in 2015, while Portland, Ore., reached 100 degrees and broke its 97-degree record that was also set in 2015.

High pressure will weaken on Sunday as temperatures return to normal 70s and lower 80s.