Turning Smoky & Warm Saturday

Good morning!

We’re working on a tricky forecast today. We continue to monitor a push of wildfire smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada, which should surge into the Portland metro area later this afternoon. This is expected to have impacts on air quality, but depending on the time of its arrival and how much wildfire smoke arrives, it could also have an impact on our high temperature. I believe temperatures will still climb in the upper 80s for most of us and it will be a very warm day. Expect smoky conditions tonight and that smoke to get a little more dense during the day tomorrow. This could also impact tomorrow’s high temperature. I brought down our forecasted high just a touch. I think temperatures should reach right around 90 or in the upper 80s for most. Air quality will likely deteriorate through the weekend. Be sure to keep an eye on the forecast through this afternoon as the smoke is expected to arrive. In areas of eastern Washington that have already seen the push of wildfire smoke, air quality ranges from unhealthy to very unhealthy.

By Monday, smoke should be clearing out thanks to more onshore flow. This change will occur as what’s left of Hurricane Hilary is expected to pass through a small portion of eastern Oregon. This will bring some cooler temperatures to Portland metro area and some rain to the east, but we don’t expect big impacts from the storm. All eyes will be on the desert southwest, which is predicted to get copious amounts of rainfall.

Temperatures Monday and Tuesday will only top out in the upper 70s and lower 80s. We’ll climb back to the mid 80s on Wendesday and then spend Thursday and Friday in the upper 80s, with Thursday being the hotter day. We’ll also see sunnier days Thursday and Friday. It will be a warm and sunny day for Hood to Coast runners on Friday!

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