Heat wave has not yet set a record for length
By Terry Murry on Thursday, July 18th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – National Weather Service Meteorologist Camden Plunkett has been crunching numbers about the current heat wave. He says the duration has a ways to go before a record is set.
In Pendleton, the longest number of consecutive days where high temperatures were over 95 degrees ended after 22 hot days on Aug. 2, 1911. The current streak at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport was 11 days on Tuesday.
At the Walla Walla Airport, the longest heat wave was 22 days, ending Aug. 21, 1977. The current streak there was at 11 days on Tuesday.
The Hermiston Airport recorded 25 days ending on July 15, 1971. The current streak there up until Tuesday is 13 days.
“Looking ahead we are almost guaranteed to hit 95 or greater through Sunday,” Plunkett said. Depending on the day the probability ranges from 85 to 100 percent.
The probabilities do not drop to around 50 percent until Tuesday, July 23 and Wednesday, July 24. Plunkett says he has a prediction as to when the hot spell will end.
“Next Thursday, July 25, currently looks to be the best chance to end the streak,” he said. On Thursday of next week there’s a only a 20 to 40 percent chance of 95 or higher. The lowest percentage is at Walla Walla, while the highest is Hermiston.
