More hot weather expected to hit Clark County todayFree

By Amy Libby, Columbian Web Editor

Published: August 30, 2022, 7:49am

A sign showing that a cooling center at the Charles Jordan Community Center is open is shown in Portland on July 26. Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees on Tuesday and wide swaths of western Oregon and Washington are predicted to be well above historic averages throughout the week. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

It’s becoming a repeated refrain: The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a heat advisory for Clark County, the Portland-metro area, the Interstate 5 corridor and the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

The heat advisory will be in effect from noon to 9 p.m. today, with temperatures of 95 to 100 degrees expected. NWS Portland warns heat-related illnesses could occur.

According to AccuWeather, a heat dome will settle over the West this week and produce record-challenging temperatures across the region.

In Portland, temperatures have been about 4 degrees above average for August, according to AccuWeather. Similar numbers are being reported in cities such as Seattle and Salt Lake City. The combination of high heat and little rain has led to the spread of wildfires as well, with several major blazes burning in the region. With this week’s expected pattern, relief is unlikely to arrive soon.

An impressive ridge of high pressure will build across the West this week, allowing temperatures to steadily rise over time. With the jet stream pushed well to the north, the chances for meaningful, widespread rain will be close to zero with this pattern, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Andrew Kienzle.

“Heat-related illness can occur in anyone, including young and healthy people,” according to the Clark County Public Health website. Elderly people, babies and young children, and people with mental illness and chronic diseases are at higher risk of developing heat-related illness.

CRESA maintains and updates a list of cooling centers around Clark County. For more information, visit cresa911.org/emergency-management/emergency-preparedness/cooling_centers.