The Pacific Northwest once again dealt with an extreme heatwave to close out the month of July, and forecasters indicate that this won't be the last time that the region will see of such weather.
The heat will continue to linger as a strong ridge of high pressure builds over the Northwest as the jet stream bulges northward, thus allowing temperatures five to 20 degrees above average to take hold of regions in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana over the weekend, according to The Weather Channel.
Forecasters say the region saw its warmest June on record, and July set some records as well. Portland experienced a yearly high of 103 degrees on Thursday, the hottest day in the city since July 29, 2009.
Furthermore, the high at Sea-Tac Airport in Washington was 91 degrees on Thursday, breaking the record for the most amount of days the city experienced temperatures of 90 degrees or above, according to AccuWeather. The city tied its nine-day record from 1958 on Wednesday.
The heat isn't just leaving locals miserable. It's having adverse effects on the environment and local wildlife. The hot dry air is sucking moisture out of plants and warming up rivers and streams, which in turn is causing fish to die off. Furthermore, pasture lands are drying up, causing certain crops from growing properly, according to ABC News.
Those suffering from the heat might be relieved to know that forecasters predict the weather will cool down next week. They warn, however, that above-average temperatures are expected throughout the summer.
