NorthWest US Heatwave

Pacific Northwest faces heat wave as temps in Portland edge close to all-time highs



[COLOR=#999999! important]RYAN KOST, Associated Press Writer
5:05 PM PDT, July 28, 2009 [/COLOR]
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — It's feeling more like Phoenix in the Pacific Northwest this week, with temperatures throughout the region spiking along with demand for the cool comforts of air conditioning, water fountains and icy treats.

Portland is expected to reach a high of 105 on both Tuesday and Wednesday. That's not far off from the all-time record of 107 degrees hit most recently in August 1981.


In Seattle, the temperature is expected to eke into the mid-90s Tuesday with even hotter weather to follow.

Wednesday "looks brutal," said National Weather Service meteorologist Jay Albrecht, with Seattle getting close to — if not over — the all-time record temperature of 100 degrees set July 20, 1994, at Sea-Tac.

"There's not going to be a whole lot of places to get away from the heat tomorrow," she said. "Really, the whole Northwest right now, especially west of the Cascades, is cooking."

Temperatures in the Spokane area are forecast in the 90s the rest of the week, which is a little above normal. More worrisome is a forecast for thunderstorms that could produce lightning that ignites wildfires.

Heat advisories were issued throughout the region. In Portland, where residents are used to temperate summer days that come with overcast mornings and crisp evenings, the warning is in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday.

To put the heat into a bit of perspective: Portlanders could have found cooler weather in Abu Dhabi (104 degrees), Houston (95 degrees), Miami (90 degrees), and Mexico City (78 degrees). Just to name a few possible escapes.

"The thing about a place like Portland is there are some buildings and residences that don't have air conditioning," said Andy Bryant, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service. "You go to Phoenix or Dallas, yes it would be very hot there, too, but they have more of a system in place to deal with it."

A Home Deport in Portland had to order up air conditioners from one of the coastal stores to restock for the week. They came in Tuesday morning only to sell out three hours later, said Cliff Baker, a Home Depot employee. "Fans are even getting hard to find."

Matthew Ho, the owner of Portland's Ohana Hawaiian Cafe said shaved ice has been in high demand. Normally he sells about 20 a day. Lately it's at least double that, he said. "We actually have a friend from Hawaii who pretty much just flew into run the shaved ice machine."

Fire departments, the Red Cross, municipalities and emergency service agencies throughout the region were offering ideas for respite. Cooling centers for the elderly were open late in Portland, and the city of Seattle extended hours for the International Fountain, where hundreds of people soaked in the changing sprays timed to recorded music.

In Washougal, the fire department opened up an air-conditioned training room to help cool folks off, and set up a water shower in a city park during the afternoon.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2590853.story

Heat just topped 106 F. at 6pm (our hottest part of the day).

Everyone I know makes fun of me for getting central AC in my home outside of Seattle....until the weather gets like this. I have really low blood pressure, excess heat makes me pass out. I refuse to feel like crap in my home.

Funny how Eastern washington is almost always this hot in the summer and nobody seems to notice....

We had a heatwave over here in the UK, and since I'm just outside of London, we had the worst of it.
It went into the 90's.
It was awful!

Uuuuuggggghhhhhhh!!!!!

Don't I know it, too!!! I am 10 minutes West from downtown Portland and I think I could fry an egg on the sidewalk!!!

I don't have AC in my little 2 bdrm apartment, but I have six fans running right now and I would say it's still about 85 degrees in here even with all my blinds closed.

Earlier today I was so hot that I actually took a cold shower to cool off!! It felt so nice.......

Well....the Oregon Summers don't seem to last too long....like two to three days usually, but this heat is supposed to last throughout the week I think.

This may begin to change things here in the Portland area. Usually we only have two seasons here....rain, and road construction. Now we just might have to add Hell on to the list!!!

Hope everyone in the area is staying cool today!!! And thanks for the post Kiya!!!

Yeah - where it's normally that hot - the deserts of eastern Oregon and Washington (where no one thinks of as desert or high plains) they think nothing of heavy snows and freezes in winter, and grueling heat in summer... but in the rainy areas on the other side of the mountains, totally different story.
We may break even with our record of 107 tomorrow.... i can hardly wait *sigh*. Funny to read that it was actually cooler in Abu Dabi. @_@

Wow!!!!
And I thought 90's was hot!!!

It is a miracle that I have survived thus far and I strive to help others see miracles in every day life.

108 in my Oregon town today. By 9:40 AM it was already 86. No A.C. I'm melting....

And nearly 12 hours later it's 88 degrees.