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)   

FT Features Comprehensive Copenhagen Climate Change Conference Coverage

Today's Financial Times features a package of articles relating to Tuesday's climate summit meeting in New York leading up to the Copenhagen conference in December (registration required). This one collection of articles provides more coverage of the subject than the WashedUpPo has had in months:

• US-EU rift clouds climate summit
• EU sees US as biggest obstacle to agreement
• UN climate body chief predicts praise for China
• Scientific consensus over dire consequences
• No melting of climate doubts
• California targets big-screen TVs in climate battle

China Plans Massive Solar Power Development

China recently announced plans for development of the world's largest solar power plant. The 2000 MW plant, to be built by U.S.-based First Solar, Inc, will be orders of magnitude larger than any solar plant currently operating when fully implemented. According to the pvresources online directory, the largest current plant is a 60 MW facility in Spain. Seven out of the top 10 largest plants are in Spain, with 2 in Germany and 1 in Portugal. Only 2 plants in the U.S. are in the top 50, a 14.2 MW facility at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and a 12.6 MW plant in Boulder City, Nevada. Over 70% (2300 MW) of European large-scale photovoltaic (PV) generation capacity is in Spain, with Germany in second place at 698 MW. Total worldwide large-scale PV capacity is currently about 3700 MW.

The new Chinese plant will be located in Ordos City in the desert region of Inner Mongolia. It is planned to be built in phases from 2010 through 2019. Phase 1, a demonstration project of 30 MW, will be followed with phases of 100 MW, 870 MW, and 1000 MW.

Image: 580 kW solar plant in Mombach Germany from First Solar, Inc.

Climate Change We Can All Believe In

And now for something completely different:

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: a perfect food storm
Opens September 18



Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The forecast calls for implausibility
N.Y. Times: A Yummy Forecast
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Fairly inventive and exceedingly manic
Bob Mondello, NPR: Puts Fun In The Forecast
L. A. Times: Sun won't shine too bright for 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'
Boston Globe: A bit bland, but still fun
Orlando Sentinel: Unexpected delight
Miami Herald: Do not see without eating first
UK Telegraph: 4 stars

August 2009 Second Warmest on Record Globally Global Ocean and Southern Hemisphere Temperatures Break Records

Images (click to enlarge): August 2009 global temperature departures from normal, history since 1880, and table of departures by hemisphere from National Climatic Data Center

The National Climatic Data Center preliminary analysis for August 2009, released within the last 2 hours, shows that this was the second warmest August on record globally, and the warmest for both the world's oceans and the Southern Hemisphere (land and ocean combined).

Here are some highlights for the month:

• Global land and ocean combined average temperature: 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20th Century average, 2nd warmest August in history behind 1998. The last below-average August was in 1978.
• Ocean temperature alone: 0.57°C (1.03°F) above average, warmest August ever
  
• Southern Hemisphere land alone and total Hemisphere: warmest August ever

For the season June-August (summer in Northern Hemisphere):

• Global land and ocean combined average temperature: 3rd warmest on record
• Ocean temperature alone: warmest on record

For the year to date, the combined land and ocean surface temperature tied with 2003 as the 5th warmest January-August on record.

WaPo Blog Policy Promotes Climate Astroturfing

One of the unintended consequences of commercialized blogging is that it creates whole new areas of conflict of interest for the traditional media attempting to make the transition to the online world. The high-fiber media have always been subject to the possible interference between the business side and the editorial side of publishing. In a recent example, WaPo publisher Katharine Weymouth absolutely, positively, in no way interfered with an article being written for the newspaper's Sunday magazine:
Post Magazine Killed 'Depressing' Story.
No. Really. All just a coincidence.

The online arena provides a new dimension, however. Among the usual denialist rants in response to a recent pathetic Climate Despot style hack job at the online WaPo's weather blog was this little fact-free gem by one "gpp1111" (spelling and grammar preserved):

What is of most concern is how skeptics of the global warming theory are treated. I have in the past made comments on blogs only to find that people had researched who I was. They don't answer my questions or debate the facts, what they want to know is who is making the argument. I have been accused of being paid by the fossil fuel companies (I wish I was), many supporters of the theory seem to think any contrarians must have alterior motives (than just the truth). To be called Holocaust deniers, flatlanders and such, using disparaging comments, ad hominem attacks, must be similar to what other skeptics experienced in 1930's Germany, skeptics of you know who. Have not noteable scientists who support the theory called for Nuremburg style trials. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/23/17350/3999/231/540815 Science is not supposed to have consensus. Consensus is a political term. Many/most scientific discoveries have come from contrarians. It is dangerous to promote consensus on any subject by simply savaging your opponents (or trying to do so). Fortunately the truth has its own power. Mother Nature is weighing in on the subject. Some alarmists are now agreeing that temperatures might fall for the next 20 years (but they say this gives humanity more time to prepare for the inevitable warming and just wait and see how hot it is going to get once the 20 years of cooling is over). The past ten years of cooling temperatures show that "natural forces" are more powerful than man made ones. It never crosses the alarmists minds that perhaps these same natural forces that are making the earth cooler also made it warmer from the late 70s to the 90s. Delaying cap and trade legislation now is critical because it will be even more difficult in the future to pass it when cooler temperatures (and the resulting shorter growing season) are felt by people throughout the globe. www.isthereglobalwarming.com

The initials gpp are fairly generic, but some determined Googling against the referenced web site along with a good memory for names and an extensive bookmark list turned up some interesting connections, especially a comment earlier this year at Chris Mooney's Intersection blog:

Re Geoffrey Pohanka

Mr. Pohankas’ web site, which his name linked to, doesn’t identify him. However, anyone living in the Washington DC area is familiar with the name Pohanka, which is a family that owns a number of automobile dealerships in the area. And guess what, Mr. Pohanka is the president of the Pohanka Lexus auto dealership and a member of the Pohanka family that owns these dealerships.

Mr. Pohanka, as one whose family is heavily invested in the automotive dealership industry, thus has a vested interest in denying global warming as the automobile industry is one of the major contributors to the production of carbon dioxide and other carbon emissions. Because of course, measures to alleviate such production will probably have a negative effect on that industry. Nice try Mr. Pohanka but its pretty hard to hide from Google.

Apparently Pohanka had no problem appearing in public when he was recently interviewed on the PBS Nightly Business Report, where he was identified as the president of Pohanka Automotive Group, whose 14 dealerships in the Washington, DC area had sold 800 cars under the Cash for Clunkers program and was awaiting $3 million from the government in payments.

Under the WaPo's "free speech" policy, gpp1111 is just another grassroots guy/gal from Woodbridge or Wherever, whereas in reality he has a vested interest in policies that allow him to sell more high-profit SUVs and trucks while he feeds at the public trough for stimulus money and the WaPo rakes in more revenue (originally typed "profits" here, but braincheck overruled, considering the state of the publishing business) from one of its major remaining advertisers.

Nothing to see here, folks, just free speech at work.

U.S. Has 30th Coolest August, 34th Coolest Summer

Images (click to enlarge): August and summer 2009 average temperature ranks from National Climatic Data Center

For other seasonal weather posts, see here.

The National Climatic Data Center posted its preliminary analysis of August temperatures on Thursday. Continuing a trend of cooler-than-average temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast, August was the 30th coolest on record, and meteorological summer (June-August) was the 34th coolest. Unlike July, however, when records were set in 6 states, no statewide records were set. The coolest states relative to average were:

Missouri 11th coolest
Kansas 12 coolest

On the other hand, several Northeastern states were in the top 10 warmest:

Delaware 8th warmest
New Jersey 8th warmest
Maine 9th warmest
Rhode Island 10th warmest
Connecticut 10th warmest

For the U.S. as a whole, the temperature of 72.2°F was 0.6°F below the 20th Century average.

The summer average of 71.7°F was 0.4°F below the 20th Century average. In the top 10 coolest summer category were:

Michigan 5th coolest
Wisconsin 7th coolest
Minnesota 7th coolest
South Dakota 7th coolest
Nebraska 8th coolest
Iowa 9th coolest

In the top 10 warmest category:

Florida 4th warmest
Washington 8th warmest
Texas 9th warmest