Early week cooldown to end record heat across Pacific Northwest

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

August 20,2016; 9:01PM,EDT

 

 

The arrival of cooler air will mark the end of a stretch of record heat along the coastal northwestern United States early next week.
"The pattern which has allowed temperatures to soar this week will break briefly for the beginning of the new week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said.
The record heat will have one last gasp on Saturday before the heat shifts to the interior Northwest and cooler conditions filter into the Pacific Northwest on Sunday.

"A small dip in the jet stream will allow cooler air to filter into the Pacific Northwest, bringing temperatures back to near normal Sunday through Tuesday," Sojda explained.
Temperatures that reached or exceeded 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal during the heat wave will drop down to more seasonable levels.
Highs in the 90s and 100s F will be traded in for 70s and 80s along the Interstate-5 corridor from Seattle to Eugene, Oregon.
Areas right by the coast will drop down into the 60s after reaching the 80s during the heat wave.
The relief from the heat will be much welcome for those in non-air conditioned dwellings.
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Sleeping will be more bearable as lows dip into 50s.
Despite the cooldown, the fire danger is forecast to remain high as conditions will stay dry, Sojda warned.
The break from record heat will be rather short-lived, as temperatures will take a shot at the record books once again late next week.
"Heat will build across the region at midweek, possibly nearing record levels again by Thursday and Friday," Sojda stated.
The short nature of the latest heat wave did not diminish its impact on the record books.
Record highs were broken on both Thursday and Friday in Portland and Medford, Oregon, as temperatures soared near or above the century mark. In Astoria, Oregon, the high of 98 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday broke the old record of 91 which had held since 1939.
Seattle also set a new record on Friday as the high reached 95.