Pacific Northwest Heat Continues

19 Oct 2022, 5:00 am

A ridge of high pressure continues to bring well above-average temperatures to the Pacific Northwest throughout the rest of this week. Over the next few days, there is a possibility to tie or break daily record highs (above). This comes on the heels of a hot day on Tuesday, certainly by PNW standards, with 70s across the board and multiple records broken.

Widespread 70s and 80s are anticipated through the work week, while this may not be “hot” for summer standards, temperatures are still about 10-20 degrees above average for the Fall. However, this weekend is looking to shift this stagnant weather pattern and bring in much needed precipitation as well as cooler temperatures. The Northwest has the potential to see numerous records for today and Thursday.

Smoke from area fires are impacting the region with hazy skies and poor air quality. Air quality alerts are in effect through the day since it is advised to spend more time indoors for those who are particularly sensitive to poor air quality.

For the latest on the heat in the West, check out the West Regional forecast on WeatherNation, every :50 of the hour!

About the author

Kit Thomas

Kit grew up in the Piedmont of North Carolina outside of Charlotte, spending most of his childhood in Belmont, an old mill town on the Catawba River now grown into a bustling suburb. He had a passion for mathematics and science through grade school, having ambitions to become an architect, engineer, theoretical/astrophysicist, or geologist, but eventually choosing to pursue Meteorology. He went to... Load More the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to obtain his degree, taking all electives on atmospheric sensing, tropical, and mesoscale meteorology for a full, in-depth understanding of the atmosphere (though he maintains on every hike, he should have taken more geology classes!) He interned at WCNC in Charlotte, learning the craft of presenting off-script and how to tell a weather story. After Graduation, he worked in the Quad Cities at WHBF-TV and KLJB-TV, the CBS/Fox affiliates. From there, he moved to Grand Island, Nebraska at KSNB-TV, the NBC affiliate for Central Nebraska. The active winters and severe seasons kept him busy, experiencing a wide range of wild weather. He remembers the most impactful event in March of 2019, when a massive snowmelt, heavy rain, and blizzard all struck the state in 36 hours. Kit later moved to the Denver area taking a job as a Producer with WeatherNation. He was brought on as a full-time on-air meteorologist in June of 2022 and can now be seen with the rest of the team on WeatherNation! He and his husband enjoy travelling together and exploring Colorado's many trails. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter @KitThomasWX.