Topline
Numerous all-time-record high temperatures set on Sunday have been broken again after just 24 hours, as a historic heat wave continues to bring triple-digit heat to the usually temperate Pacific Northwest.
Key Facts
Seattle hit 106 degrees Monday afternoon, breaking the day-old all-time-high record of 104 set on Sunday.
Seattle has now topped 100 degrees for three straight days; before this heat wave, Seattle had only reached 100 degrees three times since record-keeping began in 1896.
The temperature in Portland, Oregon, soared to 113 degrees on Monday, marking the third day in a row the city has set a new all-time record high.
Salem, Oregon—the state capital—reached 117 degrees on Monday afternoon, setting a new record for the city and coming just 2 degrees shy of the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state of Oregon, a record set in 1898.
A recording station at an elevation of 1,150 feet on Larch Mountain in eastern Clark County, Washington, did not drop below 94 degrees Sunday night, which the National Weather Service attributes to a warm east wind blowing in all night.
Surprising Fact
Temperatures soared to such blistering highs there were numerous reports of roadways buckling in the Seattle and Portland areas.
Key Background
The Pacific Northwest has one of the coolest summer climates of any U.S. region, with highs in major cities topping out in the lower 70s during typical June days. But a high pressure system known as a heat dome that's parked itself over the area has brought scorching conditions, much like another heat dome that brought record-breaking heat to the southwest U.S. earlier this month. Conditions should moderate in cities near the coast over the coming days, but hot conditions won't let up in more interior areas for the foreseeable future. Spokane, Washington, is expected to reach an all-time record high of 112 on Tuesday, with highs staying above 100 until early next week. Boise, Idaho, also isn't expected to have a daily high below 100 degrees for at least a week.
Tangent
Canada set a new all-time record high in the village of Lytton, British Columbia, on Sunday. The temperature there soared to 116 degrees—topping a national record that had stood for 84 years.
Further Reading
‘Earth-Shaking’ Heat Wave Set To Rewrite Record Books In Seattle And Pacific Northwest (Forbes)
Portland And Seattle Break Records For Hottest Days Ever As Heatwave Scorches The Northwest (Forbes)
Heat Dome Expected To Set All-Time Record Highs In Western U.S. This Week (Forbes)
