Vancouver notched a daily record high on Tuesday, as a heat dome that settled over the area drove temperatures to 99 degrees at Pearson Field as of 5 p.m.
The previous record of 96 degrees for Aug. 30 has stood since 1918.
The National Weather Service in Portland had issued a heat advisory for Clark County and Oregon’s Willamette Valley with highs forecast between 95 and 100 degrees.
The advisory also warned of an increased risk of heat-related illnesses.
A high pressure ridge built up over the West was to blame for the latest heat wave in a summer with a surplus of hot days.
There have been 23 days with temperatures of 90 degrees or higher in Vancouver — double the 30-year average set for the area from 1981-2010, according to Colby Neuman, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Over those decades, there was an average of 11 days exceeding that 90-degree mark.
“We have quite a few more than what we’ve averaged over a 30-year period,” said Neuman.
The temperatures have been trending up, he added, with more days in modern summers exceeding 90 degrees than they did decades ago. The largest number of 90-degree days came in 2018, coming in at 30.
Prior to 2002, there were several yearslong stretches of summers where the number of hot days was between five and 10, though there are recent examples where that happened. In 2013, there were only seven and in 2019, there were only eight.
Temperatures have been about 4 degrees above average in neighboring Portland for the month of August, according to AccuWeather. Similar numbers have also been reported in Seattle and Salt Lake City.
Neuman expects warm weather to continue through the holiday weekend. Temperatures are expected to peak above 90 degrees through Thursday. There’s a 50-50 chance the 90-plus heat will stretch into Friday. Saturday and Sunday will most likely be in the 80s, though it’s possible that any of the weekend days will be over 90.
“Overall, we’ll still have a continuation of warm weather but not as hot as we’re seeing now,” said Neuman.
