It won’t be as extreme as the 2021 Heat Dome, which brought new all-time records to many locations in the Pacific Northwest, but much of next week is likely to see highs above 100° in the Tri-Cities.
An upper level ridge of high pressure is forecast to move into the Pacific Northwest from offshore starting around Monday. The ridge strengthens midweek and shifts further eastward, pointing the torch at the Tri-Cities for the second half of the week.
There is still a bit of uncertainty regarding exact temperatures, but current guidance suggests that the hottest days will be Thursday through Saturday with at least one of these days making it between 110° and 115°.
The ridge producing this heat is not as strong as last year’s event. Additionally, rather than the strongest part of the ridge being centered over the Washington and British Columbia Okanogan, this one will be centered over Nevada.
Because of the ridge strength and position, I don’t currently expect to see many (if any) all-time records fall, though some locations might get close. New daily record highs are possible, though. The all time record at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco is 115° with the Richland Airport’s record standing at 118°.
The last week of July is, on average, the warmest time of the year for the Columbia Basin. Climatological average highs sit at 94° for the Tri-Cities and slowly begin to drop at the beginning of August. Unfortunately, longer range models indicate that the Pacific Northwest will see above average temperatures well into August as noted on the Climate Prediction Center map above.
Not a whole lot of relief is expected overnight with lows not getting below 70° some mornings between Thursday and Sunday.
This comes just in time for Water Follies. Water Follies is usually pretty hot, but this year is likely to be a step above normal. Not only does the typical advice apply – drink plenty of water, avoid being outdoors during the hottest time of the day, etc., but also remember to be careful with alcohol consumption.
Despite being liquid and often times cold, alcohol has a dehydrating effect (more details at this link). If you are outside next weekend and choose to drink, make sure that you’re also drinking water.
This post is accurate as of 18:00 July 22. More updates as we get closer to the event.
