Temperatures climbed into the mid-80s in Portland last weekend, breaking decades-old records according to the National Weather Service. More hot and dry weather is on the way. Meteorologist Colby Neuman with the National Weather Service told OPB’s Think Out Loud the recent October weather is the hottest in more than 80 years.
“The first 10 days of October ended up being the warmest on record for the Portland Airport, and that’s since records began in 1940, " Neuman said.
As for what’s causing the warm temperatures so late in the year, Newman said there has been high pressure over the Pacific Northwest and a lot of the western U.S.
🍂🌡 Unusually warm Fall temps across the #West. Spots along the Calif. I-5 corridor will reach the mid-90s today.
— Weather & Radar USA (@WeatherRadar_US) October 11, 2022
Though milder across the Pacific Northwest, #Seattle, #Olympia & #Portland all have shot to near or break record-high temps WED & THU.https://t.co/6mPO0XGCFD pic.twitter.com/SScY83ZygM
“That’s sort of been in place since the summer months and it just hasn’t budged,” Neuman said. “And it’s been lasting into the fall a lot longer than it usually does.”
Additionally, easterly winds blowing across the Cascades helps to warm up western Oregon and western Washington. It’s also been a dry start to October — and that’s expected to continue for at least the next week. Neuman said the warm, dry fall is not that concerning because crucial water levels in reservoirs rely more heavily on winter snowfall and spring rains.
“But for folks that live east of the Cascades, this certainly is a bigger deal just because they are already in such a deficit,” he added.
Neuman said the weather will stay warm and dry for the next week. Despite this, there is a chance for a wet winter.
“It’s looking like we are gonna have another La Nina…” He said. “Here in the Pacific Northwest, it tends to mean we have a slightly better shot for above average precipitation.”
