Hot Weather Ends, After a 2nd 98 Degree Day in Portland

10pm Wednesday…

It was another scorcher today all across Oregon and Washington, the only comfortable temps were at the coastline

Portland once again tied it’s warmest day of summer at 98 degrees.  That makes it our 11th day hitting 90.  In case you wonder, the 30 year average is between 13-14 days per season.

Some marine air is pouring into the western valleys this evening.  I see Kelso, Eugene, & Corvallis are dropping into the 60s already, even under thick cloud cover.  Speaking of…

Models have done very well showing an upper-level disturbance moving north over the Pacific Northwest tonight and Thursday.  That’s why clouds suddenly showed up around sunset.  That gives us a very warm night, but also a chance for a shower.  You may wake up to wet streets and/or showers Thursday morning.  There is even a slight thunder chance, although at this moment the GOES-17 lightning mapper is showing nothing west of the Cascades.  There was ONE strike west of Corvallis a couple hours ago and one more east of Lincoln city around 9:45pm.  You can find that here:  https://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/?sat=goes-17&z=4&im=12&ts=1&st=0&et=0&speed=130&motion=loop&map=1&lat=0&opacity%5B0%5D=1&hidden%5B0%5D=0&pause=0&slider=-1&hide_controls=0&mouse_draw=0&follow_feature=0&follow_hide=0&s=rammb-slider&sec=conus&p%5B0%5D=cira_glm_l2_group_energy&x=7265&y=2864

Once we get beyond tomorrow morning I see a typical late summer weather pattern through the early part of next week, including Labor Day Weekend.  That’s varying amounts of morning clouds and afternoon sunshine each day.  At this point it appears a dying system moving onshore Saturday will bring showers out there and maybe a shower makes it into the valleys in the afternoon too.  Maybe.

Next week should feel a bit more like fall as temperatures only reach into the 70s or 80 each day along with the decreasing sun angle.  Thick morning clouds at times will add to that feeling as well.  The ECMWF ensembles hint an upper-level trough could bring showers either Tuesday or Wednesday.  No hot weather in sight!

Chief Meteorologist Mark Nelsen