Weekend temperatures in the Portland area are expected to soar past 100 degrees.
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch starting at noon on Thursday, July 4, through 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 7.
Temperatures are expected to rise throughout the week, reaching 93 degrees on Independence Day. The forecast shows temperatures could reach the triple digits on Friday and peak at 104 on Saturday. The Sunday high is expected to be 99 degrees, then drop down to 93 on Monday.
Nightly lows in the 60s are expected over the weekend. A 35-degree drop from the daily high is a similar drop as in past heat waves, but will only provide limited relief.
Temperatures will remain in the 80s into late evening, National Weather Service Portland Meteorologist Colby Neuman said.
“There will be limited opportunity for homes to cool off at night,” Neuman said. “So even though the lows aren’t looking as warm as what we saw in June of 2021, there still will be limited relief to those without air conditioning.”
The 2021 heat dome, which took place June 26-28 with temperatures reaching 116 degrees, resulted in 69 deaths in Multnomah County.
Like in 2021, the impending heat wave is coming soon after the summer solstice, when days are long.
“This time of year, our nights are relatively short, so there just isn’t a lot of time to cool off,” Neuman said.
Temperatures could be even hotter and for even longer.
The likelihood of temperatures hitting 110 degrees on Saturday, July 6, has increased in recent forecasts. The National Weather Service estimates a 25% to 30% chance of 110-degree temperatures in Portland on Saturday.
“While this is still not the most likely outcome, chances of temps above 100°F have been steadily increasing. There is a non-zero chance that temperatures may approach those experienced in the June 2021 heat wave,” the National Weather Service Portland Office said. “Now is the time to think about how you will stay cool during this potentially dangerous heat wave. Inland temperatures will turn very hot by Friday. We all learned in June 2021 how deadly excessive heat can be.”
Temperatures may stay high even after the weekend.
“We’re looking at three very hot days, then it's a question of how long does it last into next week. But there aren’t that many scenarios where we’re going to see this dramatic cool off,” Neuman said. “There’s still a high probability that we’re going to see highs into the 90s early next week.”
Cooling centers are expected to open, but Multnomah County has not announced details yet.
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