07/29/2003

By TERESA BELL, JIM PARKER and DOUG IRVING, kgw.com Staff

Much of Oregon experienced record heat on Tuesday with sizzling afternoon temperatures that soared into the triple digits, making it the hottest day of the year across the state.

Portland was one of at least nineteen cities in the state to hit or surpass the 100-degree mark. Portland's official high of 100 at PDX Airport broke the record high of 99 for the date set in 1990.

Children from a local daycare cool off during playtime at Portand's Salmon Street Fountain .(kgw.com photo/Teresa Bell)

Other Oregon cities reaching or surpassed the 100-degree mark Tuesday: Ashland, 102; Beaverton 101; Bull Mountain 100; Eugene, 101; John Day, 100; LaGrande, 102; McMinnville, 100; Ontario, 103; Scappoose, 100; Troutdale, 101.

Two communites that failed to reach 100 still managed to break old records. Hillsboro, where it hit 98 degrees, broke a 1985 record of 96. And Klamath Falls, at 96 degrees, broke a 1952 record of 94.

With Portland reaching 100 on Tuesday afternoon, that made it the hottest day of the year so far in the city. The heat and stagnant air conditions prompted Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality to extended a smog health advisory into Wednesday.

Walkers stroll along Portland's Waterfront Park and watch boaters jet by in the heat. (kgw.com photo/Teresa Bell)

In Dayton, officials did declare a water crisis, urging residents to turn in their neighbors if they observe them watering anything other than vegetable gardens on a limited basis. Violators faced a fine of up to $500 a day.

The city said water levels in their reservoir had dropped below 30 percent of capacity.

Monday was also a scorcher

The stifling band of heat first muscled up from the desert Southwest to smother Oregon and southwest Washington on Monday with temperatures nearing, and in some cases exceeding, 100 degrees.

The National Weather Service said at least five Oregon communities set or tied record high temperatures for Monday's date. They included: Medford, 105; Roseburg, 104; Eugene, 100; and Salem, 99. Astoria, along the Oregon coast, had the coolest record high of the bunch at 82 degrees.

Three other Oregon cities reached triple digits on Monday: The Dalles, Pendleton and Redmond -- however, none set records.

Related items:

Hot weather photos Latest weather information Oregon temperatures

Portland reached a high of 98 late Monday afternoon. While it wasn't a record, it was the 12th day this year that PDX had reached the 90-plus degree mark; Tuesday was number 13. While that's just a bit above average, it's nowhere near the record 23 days of 90-degree plus weather that occured in 1987.

A superheated pool of desert heat and urban smog has settled over the Portland area, triggering health alerts that remain in effect through the end of the day on Wednesday.

A man reaches for some ice cold bottled water in Portland on Monday. (KGW Photo)

Polluted air can make healthy people cough and wheeze, DEQ experts said. For people who are already sick or especially health sensitive, air pollution may mean discomfort, limited activities, increased use of medications and more frequent visits to doctors and hospitals.

When will conditions cool down?

The area is expected to begin cooling down after Wednesday.

The high-pressure system that has settled over the Northwest is repelling the cool coastal breezes that often afford the Willamette Valley some relief from the heat. Day after day of sun has grilled the valley, forecasters said.

Portland last suffered triple-digit heat last August, when temperatures topped out at 102. But Tuesday marked the first time the city had reached 100 in July since 1998, when a blast of heat set records throughout the valley.

Some Portland pets get hosed off for some hot weather relief Monday. (KGW Photo)

The wall of high-pressure should begin to crack after Wednesday, allowing some wisps of coastal air back into the valley. Wednesday’s high temperature should reach 97 in Portland, Susssman said, before the heat slinks back into the 80s for the end of the week.

The Portland area has not collected measurable rainfall since June 22, and reservoirs are dropping as summer demand for water increases. At least two boat ramps at popular Detroit Lake will likely be “high and dry” by Labor Day, forecasters said.

The air across Oregon reamins parched, with humidity in the valley around 20 percent and in eastern Oregon around 10 percent.

That means critically low humidity for crews battling wildfires in the state. The dry air helps pull moisture out of trees and plants, experts said, leaving them far more susceptible to fire.