PORTLAND, Ore. — A heat wave has descended on the Pacific Northwest, hitting Portland with the hottest temperatures seen so far this summer, and Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day of the week — but anyone looking for a major cooldown later this week is likely to be disappointed.
Portland hit a high of 99 degrees Monday, and the predicted high for Tuesday is 102 degrees, according to KGW meteorologist Rod Hill. Daily highs are predicted to stay in the upper 90s for the rest of the week, with the possibility of additional days breaking the 100 degree mark.
Overnight temperatures aren't expected to bring much relief, with daily lows remaining in the high 60s until the end of the weekend. Multnomah County announced Tuesday that its four overnight cooling shelters will remain open 24 hours a day through at least Thursday.
Other parts of the state are sweating through even hotter weather, with Monday highs hitting 108 degrees in The Dalles, 104 in Hermiston, 101 in Salem and 100 in Hood River and McMinnville.
The Portland area and much of northern Oregon through the Columbia River Gorge are under Excessive Heat Warnings, according to the National Weather Service, and most of the rest of the state is under a heat advisory. In Portland, the warning will remain in place through Saturday morning.
Only the Oregon coast is really escaping the heat, with highs in the 60s or 70s in most coastal cities for the remainder of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
The extreme heat is also contributing to increased air pollution. The Southwest Clean Air Agency and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory for Clark County and the Portland metro area Tuesday, warning about elevated levels of smog in the region that will likely push the air quality into the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category through Saturday.
Earlier forecasts showed the heat wave winding down on Friday, setting up a relatively cooler weekend, but the latest KGW forecast shows the heat sticking around, with a predicted high in the Portland area of 97 on Saturday and 91 on Sunday before temperatures drop back into the 80s next week.
Portland's temperatures this week won't quite match the levels seen during recent heat waves in Europe, nor will it match the record-breaking temperatures set during last year's Pacific Northwest heat dome, but the temperatures are still easily high enough to be dangerous.
