Scorching heat is expected to continue into at least the first half of the weekend across the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures early Friday afternoon were well into the 90s in places around Seattle, with the mercury approaching or exceeding 100 degrees in cities such as Portland, Eugene, Salem, Medford and Redding. The only relief is places immediately along the coast, where the cooler ocean waters are keeping seaside towns locked in the 50s and 60s. But you only have to go inland about a dozen miles or so to see temperatures spike up into the 90s.
As of 2 p.m. PDT Friday, Seattle and Portland had already surpassed their daily record highs, which were 89 and 97 respectively. Salem, Oregon has also broken the record high of 99 for Friday, while Eugene was just a couple degrees shy of their record high of 101. (UPDATE: Eugene did set a record, topping out at 104 degrees Friday afternoon)
It will be deja vu for Saturday, with similar scorching temperatures expected once again on across the entire Pacific Northwest, with the exception again for places immediately along the ocean. The National Weather Service has Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings in effect through Saturday for the I-5 corridor from Seattle to Northern California, including the Willamette Valley in Oregon. If you are in these areas, you should try to limit your time outdoors while staying well hydrated (also don’t forget to keep your pets cool).
More record highs will be in jeopardy on Saturday, including for Seattle (87), Portland (96), Eugene (99), and Salem (98).
The big ridge of high pressure that is causing the extreme heat will begin to break down on Sunday, allowing for cooler air to spill in to parts of the I-5 corridor. Those in the Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Portland areas should see noticeably cooler temperatures (10 to 20 degrees cooler) compared to Saturday. However, the sizzling heat will continue for locations east of the Cascade Mountains, where most will experience highs in the 90s once again.
Consult the MORECAST app for temperatures you can expect at your location! Stay cool!