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The Willamette Valley is in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave, with temperatures reaching 96 degrees at Eugene Airport on Sunday. A climatologist says the region is seeing an increasing number of 90-degree days compared with past decades.
Ninety-six degrees.
That is the record-breaking temperature the National Weather Service recorded Sunday, June 14, at Eugene Airport.
The heat wave — a period of unusually hot weather that typically lasts more than two days — began Friday with a high of 82 degrees, followed by 91 degrees Saturday.
Hot air is sinking from a high-pressure weather system, helping drive record temperatures across the Willamette Valley, with Eugene and Salem hotter than Portland, which hit 94 degrees on Sunday.
The heat is not over, with the high on Monday hitting the mid-90s again, as a heat advisory continued through the evening. At Autzen Stadium, the field reached 155 degrees, forcing the University of Oregon to postpone two afternoon commencement ceremonies scheduled there.
High temperatures are expected to cool into the 80s Tuesday and Wednesday.
These record-breaking temperatures add to long-term climate records, which track patterns in temperature, rainfall and other conditions over periods of about 30 years to establish what is considered normal for a region.
The Eugene-Springfield area has experienced nearly double the number of days above 90 degrees compared with previous decades. It once typically averaged 17 annually and now has had about 33 annually over the last six years, according to Larry O’Neill, state climatologist and associate professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.
“What is changing is more of these heat waves, and they are more intense,” he said. “The fact we are getting so many more is in part [due] to climate change.”
Last year around this time, a separate Eugene heat wave broke records for June 8, at 94 degrees, surpassing the previous daily record of 93 degrees set in 1955. This year’s June 14 record exceeded that mark by 4 degrees, compared with the previous record of 92 degrees set in 1914.
This story was updated to reflect Monday’s temperature.
Tips for dangerously hot weather
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Stay in cool or shaded areas.
- Avoid prolonged sun exposure.
- Reschedule outdoor work if possible; take frequent breaks in shaded areas if not.
- Check on relatives and neighbors.
- Use fans and open windows during cooler hours if you don’t have air conditioning.
- Never leave children or pets in vehicles.
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