science environment

Rain At Last: Portland’s 57-Day Dry Spell Ends In A Drizzle

By Bryan M. Vance (OPB)
Portland, Oregon Aug. 13, 2017 3:59 p.m.

After nearly 60 dry, hot days without a single drop of liquid sunshine, Portland-area residents were greeted with the familiar feeling of a pleasant drizzle early Sunday morning.

Much of the metro area received around one to two-tenths of an inch overnight, with some areas on the northern Oregon coast receiving upwards of one-third of an inch of rain. The rainfall recorded at the Portland International Airport was enough to snap the 57-day dry streak, the third longest in the city’s history dating back to 1940, according to the National Weather Service.

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And the rain is expected to continue throughout much of the day Sunday, according to Matthew Cullen, a meteorologist with the NWS in Portland.

“It should really be done by mid-day,” Cullen said, with clouds starting to part and conditions drying up “by the time we get to the afternoon.”

The cause for the rain was a cold air mass moving into the region, providing a much-needed break from near-record temperatures the region has faced for much of the past two weeks.

That break from the heat is expected to continue throughout the week, Cullen said. Temperatures should remain relatively pleasant Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the mid to upper 70s and some cloud cover throughout the days. Temperatures will increase to the low-to-mid 80s by midweek, with a high near 86 on Thursday.

“This week is certainly much less hot, so the threat from the extreme heat isn’t there,” Cullen said. He advised folks to get outside and enjoy the weather to make up for missed outdoor opportunities over the past few weeks.

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