PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — This is the summer that keeps on giving. Not only has it been sunny and dry for outdoor activities, but our summer cup has nearly overflowed with 90-degree days.
We are now sitting at 27 days at or above 90 degrees, with temperatures recorded over at the Portland International Airport. That is well above our average, which comes to around 15 per year.
The all-time record that we have here in Portland is 2018, coming in with 31 days at or above 90 degrees. In 2021, we topped off at 24. The last time we didn’t hit our 90-degree average? That was in 2019.
We’ve had back-to-back warm summers. Check out the list below that includes some of our busiest 90-degree summers, which includes plenty of recent years.
The graphic below goes all the way back to 1940. Although we see plenty of years spiking above average in red, we also have clusters of years that are below the average.
Prior to 2019, you would have to go back to the window of 2010-2013 to find a stretch of time that didn’t reach the 90-degree average. There are only two years, 2015 and 2018, that have brought in more 90-degree days than this year.
It is possible that Portland tops at least number 2 over the next few days. We may even approach that sizzling summer from 2018, too.
We know that we have more heat this week, with at least three days approaching 90 degrees. We may even have a forecast calling for a Saturday high in the mid 90s.
There is an enormous area of high pressure spanning across the southwest at this moment. This is what we refer to as the four corners high pressure. That area of high pressure allows for the monsoon season to pick up in action. Well, that will expand out to the west and even a bit northwest a few times this week. That is going to bring extreme heat to areas of the Sacramento Valley for the week.
That heat will keep the wildfire season in a state of unstable limbo for a chunk of September. Temperatures will be very warm and that means the relative humidity will be dangerously low for southern and eastern Oregon.
Take a look below at the extended forecast as of Labor Day afternoon. The KOIN 6 Weather team is calling for the lower 90s on Tuesday, and tentatively Friday and Saturday. If the forecast verifies, we could potentially be sitting at 30 90-degree days by the time we get to Monday. That would put us at number two on the list and it would put us one away from the record of 31. These aren’t exactly the type of records you want to break.
Also, feast your eyes on Friday morning into Saturday morning. We may have another night where the temperature ends up being somewhere from 65 to 70 degrees.
Summer will continue to show off. Just a reminder that the fall equinox is in 17 days!
