Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Pacific Northwest Extending Heat Records
Portland Breaks Annual Record for 90° Days

Image (click to enlarge): 500 mb height at 8 am EDT, Sept. 22

For other record temperature posts, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold


Sept. 23 Update: Additional record reports:
Roseburg OR 101°, broke 1994 record of 100°
Montague CA 95°, tied 1974 record

6 PM PDT Update: Today's unofficial high at Portland was 92°. Other Oregon and Washington highs in the 90s:
Kelso     93°
Scappoose 92°
Vancouver 93°
Astoria 92°
Bremerton 93°
Ft. Lewis 91°
Preliminary National Weather Service record reports released so far:
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 92 DEGREES WAS SET AT ASTORIA OR TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 89 SET IN 1989.

AS OF 3 PM PDT...PORTLAND AIRPORT REACHED 91 DEGREES. THIS SETS A NEW
RECORD OF 24 DAYS THIS YEAR THAT EXCEEDED 90 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 23 DAYS WAS SET IN 1987.

3 PM PDT Update: The Portland temperature of 91° makes this the 24th day of the year at 90°+ and sets a new record. The reading of 92° at Astoria breaks the record of 89° for the date set in 1989 and is the latest 90° temperature ever recorded there. The previous latest was 91° on Sept. 13, 1957. The previous latest 92° temperature was on Sept. 4, 1955.

PM Update: At 2 pm PDT, Portland is reporting a temperature of 88°. Astoria, on the coast, is at 91°, and Kelso, Washington is 90°.

Original post:
A very strong upper-level ridge of high pressure is helping to extend this summer's record heat into the fall in the Pacific Northwest. In anticipation of a much-above-average high in the low 90s in Portland, the National Weather Service has issued a statement reviewing heat statistics for northwest Oregon. A high of 90° or above would break the record annual number of 90° days of 23. The high yesterday was 85°. As of noon PDT, the temperature is 83°, up 14° in 2 hours.
PERIOD OF RECORD: 
PORTLAND...1940-CURRENT
SALEM......1892-CURRENT
EUGENE.....1890-CURRENT

*********************************************************
AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS PER YEAR:

PORTLAND SALEM EUGENE
90 DEGREES OR ABOVE..... 11 15 11
100 DEGREES OR ABOVE....LESS THAN 1 ABOUT 1 LESS THAN 1

**********************************************************
NUMBER OF DAYS SO FAR THIS YEAR (2009):

PORTLAND SALEM EUGENE
90 DEGREES OR ABOVE..... 23 22 20
100 DEGREES OR ABOVE.... 3 3 4

**********************************************************
RECORD TOTAL NUMBER OF DAYS IN A YEAR:

PORTLAND SALEM EUGENE
90 DEGREES OR ABOVE..... 23/2009 34/1958 31/1958
NOTE....PORTLAND TIES RECORD SET IN 1987.

100 DEGREES OR ABOVE.... 5/1977 7/1988 5/1978

**********************************************************
RECORD NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF HIGH TEMPERATURES
FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR:

90 DEGREES OR ABOVE.....RANK #DAYS START DATE
FOR PORTLAND............ 1. 10 7-25-2009
2. 8 8-12-1967
3. 7 8-03-1972
4. 7 9-04-1944
5. 6 7-22-1996


FOR SALEM............... 1. 10 8-11-1967
2. 10 7-13-1938
3. 9 7-25-2009
4. 9 8-05-1977
5. 9 7-27-1974

FOR EUGENE.............. 1. 11 7-13-1938
2. 10 7-26-1974
3. 10 8-11-1967
4. 9 8-03-1990
5. 9 7-21-1939

100 DEGREES OR ABOVE....RANK #DAYS START DATE
FOR PORTLAND............ 1. 5 7-13-1941
2. 4 8-07-1981
3. 3 7-25-2009
4. 3 7-19-1994
5. 3 8-10-1977

FOR SALEM............... 1. 4 7-19-1994
2. 4 8-07-1981
3. 4 8-09-1977
4. 4 7-13-1941
5. 3 7-25-2009

FOR EUGENE.............. 1. 4 8-07-1981
2. 3 7-25-2009
3. 3 7-22-2006
4. 3 8-10-1977
5. 3 7-22-1928
In the interior of Washington and Idaho, high temperature records are expected to be threatened on Wednesday, Sept. 23:
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE PROJECTED TO BE 10 TO 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL  
WEDNESDAY. SOME RECORDS FOR THE AREA ARE LISTED BELOW ALONG WITH
FORECASTED TEMPERATURES.

...WEDNESDAY 9/23/2009....

STATION FORECAST RECORD (YEAR)
BONNERS FERRY 90 85 (1987)
BOUNDARY DAM 89 83 (1987)
CHELAN 89 87 (1987)
COEUR D'ALENE 89 93 (1966)
COLVILLE 92 94 (2001)
CONCONULLY 89 87 (1987)
DEER PARK 90 90 (2001)
ENTIAT 94 89 (1999)
EPHRATA 90 92 (1987)
FELTS FIELD 91 91 (2001)
LEWISTON 95 97 (2001)
MAZAMA 91 89 (1987)
OMAK 92 89 (1939)
PLAIN 88 88 (1990)
PORTHILL 88 86 (1999)
POTLATCH 95 93 (1938)
PRIEST RAPIDS 91 90 (1999)
PULLMAN 92 93 (1987)
REPUBLIC 90 92 (1928)
SANDPOINT 86 83 (1987)
SPOKANE 89 91 (1905)
WELLPINIT 92 91 (1987)
WENATCHEE WATER 93 90 (1939)
WENATCHEE 90 90 (1974)
WINTHROP 91 91 (1987)

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