Pacific Northwest to Enjoy Slight Cooldown for the Weekend

Posted: July 7, 2023 2:19 pm

After a few scorching hot days, the mercury will begin to moderate in the Pacific Northwest. However, the temperatures will be on the upswing in the Southwest. Here is what you need to know about the forecast up and down the West Coast in the coming days.

Relief from the Heat in Sight for Seattle and Portland

July got off to a hot start in cities such as Seattle and Portland with some parts of this region experiencing record-challenging heat. That is all about to change as the temperature comes back to average levels for the first half of July by the weekend.

The cooldown will come at the hands of cooler air that rushed onshore from the Pacific Ocean on Friday. The heat reached its top levels of the week on Wednesday in western Washington and Oregon. Seattle saw an afternoon high of 91 degrees, tying the record for that date in history. Down the road in Portland, the city set a new record for July with a reading of 98 degrees. This was two degrees above the previous record 96 degrees from 2015.

The temperature will continue the downward trend to close out the week in the Pacific Northwest. A shift in the wind direction over this corner of the nation will also help to improve the air quality that had been trending in the wrong direction because of the Canadian wildfires.

Saturday’s highs will settle in the mid 70s for Seattle with Portland expected to see readings in the low 80s by the start of the weekend. This forecast translates to weather that is just above average for Seattle and only slightly warmer than the norm for Portland.

Hot Weather Remains East of Cascades

The area of land stretching from the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the western foothills of the Rockies will continue to see warmer than average temperatures as the northward bulge in the jet stream remains in place. This hot weather is forecast to hang on through the weekend and into the early part of next week, bringing temperatures in the 90s for areas such as Pullman, Washington and Boise, Idaho.

Another dip in the jet stream by the middle of next will filter down cooler air for the interior Northwest. This movement will result in readings retreating about 5 to 10 degrees across much of Eastern Washington and Oregon.

However, the long-range forecast is calling for another round of unseasonable heat for the Northwest by the middle of July, heading into what is typically the hottest time of the year.

Interior Southwest to Bake Under the July Sun

While the Northwest will experience a brief respite from the heat, there is no such luck for the Southwest. The heat is expected to keep building over the interior portions of this region throughout the next few weeks.

Although Las Vegas recently set a new record for the longest stretch of days without a triple-digit reading, those days are now in the rearview mirror. Sin City will see high temperatures range between 102 and 106 over the next few days. These readings will climb even higher by next week, peaking in the 110s as high pressure continues to gain intensity over the Desert Southwest.

It will be equally hot in Phoenix. The Valley of Sun could see the mercury soar to near 120 degrees by the middle of the month. The all-time record high temperature in Phoenix is a sweltering 122 degrees, a record that has stood since 1990.

Moving farther to the north, Salt Lake City may also reach the century mark during this upcoming hot weather pattern. The city has already seen this reading once this year when it hit a high of 101 degrees on July 3. The average for this time of the year is in the mid 90s.

Risks of Heat Include Wildfire Danger and Strain on Energy Supplies

What is most worrisome to climate experts is how the duration and intensity of the heat over the interior Southwest will impact the region’s energy supplies. Heat that becomes too oppressive in eastern Texas could severely impact that state’s energy grid. This concern will become more pronounced if the heat marches to the east and envelops the heavily populated area of North Texas.

The high temperature will also present more wildfire dangers. This risk will be the highest in northern Arizona and into New Mexico over the next few weeks.

The coastal portions of Southern California should dodge the heat due to the position of the high pressure system anchored over the interior Southwest. Daytime highs will hover between the upper 60s to the mid 70s for Southern California’s beach communities. Temperatures will trend slightly higher in downtown Los Angeles, with readings approaching the 80-degree mark this weekend.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts