It's going to be very, very hot in the Pacific Northwest today
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for Thursday and Friday along much of the West Coast, from Seattle down to central California.
Seattle seems to have gotten a reprieve from expected triple-digit temperatures on Thursday, thanks to sun-blocking smoke pouring down from forest fires in British Columbia.
For better and worse, Portland won't be so hazy, with temperatures expected to hit 107 degrees, matching the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city (three times: Aug. 8 and 10, 1981 and July 30, 1965). The mercury in Portland hit 103 on Wednesday, while nearby towns hit record highs, like McMinnville's 106 degrees. Temperatures of 107 may not seem outrageous to residents of the Southwest, but the Northwest wasn't built with such scorchers in mind — only a third of Seattle homes have air conditioning, for example, as CNN notes in the video below.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Heatwaves like this may become more common. By 2100, three-fourths of people on Earth may be hit with 20 or more days of deadly heat a year, up from 1 in 3 people currently, according to a recent article in the journal Nature Climate Change. So the Pacific Northwest may have to invest in A/C, someday. But for now, they at least have ample water. Peter Weber
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 21, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - devilish decrees, biblical blunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published