People float the Deschutes River through Bend, Ore., in the shadow of Mount Bachelor in this June 25, 2021 file photo. The National Weather Service recently confirmed that the 119 degree heat reached last summer at Pelton Dam in Central Oregon tied two previous dates as the hottest day on record in the state.
Bradley W. Parks / OPB
Last summer’s heat wave broke regional high-temperature records across the Pacific Northwest.
But on Thursday it officially notched another record. Last year in June, a recorded temperature in Central Oregon tied a longstanding record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state.
The National Weather Service in Pendleton announced Thursday that the State Climate Extremes Committee has verified a tied, all-time Oregon maximum temperature of 119 degrees.
The high temp was recorded in Jefferson County at Pelton Dam and Moody Farms Agrimet on June 29, 2021. The 2021 extreme tied the previous record of 119 degrees at Prineville on July 29, 1898, and Pendleton on Aug 10, 1898.
The State Climate Extremes Committee has also verified a tied all-time Oregon maximum temperature record of 119°F at Pelton Dam & Moody Farms Agrimet on 29 June 2021. This ties the old record of 119°F at Prineville, OR on July 29, 1898 & Pendleton, OR on Aug 10, 1898. 2/5 pic.twitter.com/XO8bXFzMyS
— NWS Pendleton (@NWSPendleton) February 10, 2022
Nearly 100 people died in Oregon during the extreme weather event, leading to temporary protections for people at significant risk. Lawmakers are considering bills in the February legislative session that would fund cooling systems and other protections for future heat waves.