Record heat wave to hit Pacific Northwest
By Linda Weiford, WSU News
PULLMAN, WASH. – Technically, it’s still spring, but temperatures are expected to bring record-breaking heat to the Pacific Northwest starting this weekend.
A warm ridge of high pressure off the Pacific Ocean will park itself over the region, delivering a burst of hot weather peaking Sunday through Tuesday and perhaps longer, said meteorologist Nic Loyd of Washington State University.
“In general, we’re talking 25 degrees above normal for this time of year. For some people, it will come as a surprise in early June,” said Loyd, who monitors weather data for WSU’s AgWeatherNet, a network of 160 weather stations.
In central Washington, including Yakima, the mercury is predicted to creep toward 100 degrees, in contrast to the normal high of 77, he said. In the eastern part of the state, temperatures should climb to near 90 degrees, likely breaking a record in Pullman of 88 degrees set in 1948.
Seattle is projected to hit the mid-80s and Portland, Ore., 90, according to forecasts generated from computer models and satellite imaging.
The region will start warming up on Friday and Saturday. If the prediction pans out, states will officially be enveloped in an early-season heat wave by Sunday, said Loyd.
“Records may be broken in some areas. Whether those records are widespread across the region is not yet known,” he said. “Regardless, people will want to get out the sunscreen and fans.”
Contacts:
Nic Loyd, WSU meteorologist, 509-786-9357, nicholas.loyd@wsu.edu
Linda Weiford, WSU News, 509-335-7209, linda.weiford@wsu.edu
