Early high temps could set records in Oregon, Washington this weekend
Portland may see temperatures of 94 degrees Fahrenheit, and Seattle could get into the low 90s.
LEARN MOREMay 15, 2023
On Monday morning at Seattle's Alki Beach, people were getting in their workouts and chores before the heat of the day kicked in.
With a claw and bucket, Carla Coates was out beautifying the beach before even more residents sought relief in the waves of Puget Sound.
"I'm just checking out how it's gonna be and what it feels like," she said.
From Canada to Oregon, temperatures reached the high 80s to low 90s this weekend, and the heat wave in the Northwest is expected to continue. The National Weather Service says temperatures will be between 20 to 30 degrees above average throughout the week.
This weather this early is unusual. The Seattle Times reported that it's only gotten in the high 80s six times in the last 75 years.
"This heat's a little bit different than what we're used to, and especially this early," resident Kyle Petheral said.
Petheral was out with his dog on their second walk of the morning.
"Getting it in now before it gets too hot," he said.
For Seattle residents, strategizing their approach to the heat is necessary, as the city is one of the least air conditioned in the country. Only about half of its residents have AC, according to the Census Bureau's 2021 American Housing Survey.
But a few summers of heat waves in the 90s, even to triple digits, have residents more prepared for weather like this, breaking out the summer protocols during a spring that doesn't feel like one.
"I think now people are a little more like prepared for it, like I got a little portable AC unit in my house over there, and so I'm not really getting caught off guard this time," Petheral said.
