Portland breaks record for consecutive days of temperatures 95 or higher

By April Ehrlich (OPB)
July 31, 2022 10:34 p.m.

Sunday marked Portland’s seventh consecutive day with recorded high temperatures at or above 95 degrees, breaking a previous record set in 1981.

Of those seven days going back to July 25, three reached triple-digit temperatures, according to the National Weather Service Portland office.

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Portland previously recorded six consecutive days with temperatures at or above 95 degrees on Aug. 11, 1981, and July 18, 1941. Portland’s temperature records go back to 1940.

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Jalen Askari, 7, right, plugs his nose as he falls into the pool he is playing in with his siblings, from left, Amari, 5, Bella, 2, and DJ, 10, in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The temperature hit 102 that day, in the midst of the city's record streak of 95-plus degree days.

Jalen Askari, 7, right, plugs his nose as he falls into the pool he is playing in with his siblings, from left, Amari, 5, Bella, 2, and DJ, 10, in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The temperature hit 102 that day, in the midst of the city's record streak of 95-plus degree days.

Craig Mitchelldyer / AP

Seattle also broke a record on Sunday after it recorded six consecutive days with 90 or more degrees. Previous records with five-straight days were set on July 5, 2015 and Aug. 11, 1981, according to the NWS Seattle office.

Multnomah County is one of 25 counties included in Gov. Kate Brown’s state of emergency declaration as the Pacific Northwest endures this record-breaking heat wave. The declaration covers much of the state, except for most of the coast and southeast regions.

Officials with the Oregon Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating at least 10 deaths that they think may be tied to the heat wave. Those deaths were recorded in Multnomah, Umatilla, Marion and Clackamas counties.

Cooling centers in Multnomah County will remain open until 8 p.m. Sunday. More information can be found at multco.us/hot.

Temperatures are expected to cool off on Monday, with a forecasted high of 90 degrees in the Portland area.

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