Triple Digit Heatwave Predicted in Oregon Over Independence Day Weekend
A triple digit heatwave is predicted will start on Independence Day (Thursday, July 4) through to Sunday, stretching from Portland in the northwest to Medford in Southern Oregon.
Temperature gauges will hover between 100 to 115 degrees. People are warned to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms and to ensure they keep themselves well hydrated.
Interiors of Parked Vehicles Will Reach Lethal Temperatures Within Minutes
The interiors of parked vehicles will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes and the National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland warns motorists not to leave children and pets unattended in vehicles.
Excessive heat will blanket Southern Oregon with temperatures ranging between 100 and 110 degrees. The NWS predicts that temperatures will start in the low 90s on Independence Day but will steadily climb to reach triple digit readings by Saturday.
The NWS Portland has issued an excessive heat watch from Thursday through to Sunday evening in portions of northwest and west central Oregon – Willamette Valley, Portland, Linn County, and Clackamas – and southwest Washington. Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures of up to 102 degrees are possible.
The KATU Storm Tracker 2 Meteorologist Rhonda Shelby warns people attending the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland to take frequents breaks from the sun and to drinks lots of water. Last year more than 45,000 people attended the event held annually in the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
Temperatures Could Reach115 Degrees
The NWS Medford has issued an urgent weather warning for western, central and southern Siskiyou County, Douglas, Josephine and Jackson counties, including Grants Pass, Medford, Rogue River, and Jacksonville.
The weather service station warns that dangerously hot conditions will see temperature gauges hover between 100 and 115 degrees for the Independence Day weekend.
The latest weather updates can be checked on the NWS website and the weather in Ashland module.