Get ready Portland, it is going to be a very hot summer. After record-high temperatures this April, it seems that another heat wave this weekend will raise temperatures to around 100 degrees. Historically, on average, temperatures at this time of year usually range between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but it seems that summer has already arrived this year. While these temperatures are not necessarily unusual for the Pacific Northwest, the problem is that the seasons are changing much more quickly and intensely than they have in the past. For example, temperatures in the 80s or 90s are typical of mid-to-late June, but they already happened in the first week of April. Hotter temperatures were recorded in 2015 and the month of April was record-breaking.

This extreme change in weather is evident throughout the entire Pacific Northwest; residents of Seattle, Salem and even the Oregon Coast have also experienced record-high temperatures this year, leading some scientists to believe that change in the weather is the result of global warming. According to Intellicast, researchers have found that the temperatures of the Pacific Northwest have increased approximately 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit every year since 1920, and they predict that this trend will not slow down anytime soon. Some of the predicted effects of this change in climate are increased intense allergy seasons, longer growing periods, a loss of snowpack, and an increase in sea level along the coast. In the next 10 to 50 years, if this increased temperature becomes the norm, it is highly possible that many of the native ecosystems in Oregon will be threatened. There is a high risk of drought and fire particularly in rural farming communities and the possibility that native species who cannot adapt to this new climate will go extinct.

Of course, these trends are not specific to the Pacific Northwest or Portland. While we may be experiencing record heat-related circumstances, the Southern Plains and the Mississippi Valley also experienced record-high precipitation for this time of year. There are hundreds of reports and various research being conducted right now to track the effects of climate change. Disturbingly, NASA reported that March 2016 was globally the hottest month ever recorded for the time of year. So be aware that this unusual weather is not an isolated incident, but instead part of the growing trend of climate change that may affect the entirety of our planet.

To find further information, Read more at:

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?loca...

http://www.keeporegoncool.org/content/oregons-clim...