Record Heat Expected Friday

Portland, Ore. — After a chilly and rainy April, Portland is finally seeing some sunshine as temperatures soar up into the 70s and are expected to hit 80 degrees for the weekend. According to KGW meteorologist Rod Hill, the city reached a high of 77 degrees on Wednesday, marking the first above-70 day of the year. The first above-80 day is expected to follow on Thursday or Friday, with the forecast calling for a high of 82 degrees on Friday, which would break the previous record high for that date set back in 1998.

While April 2023 had been on track to become Portland’s wettest April on record, the abrupt weather reversal means that it won’t be, as the city is now experiencing its fourth-wettest April on record with 5.08 inches of rain so far. However, cooler weather and rain showers are expected to return on Sunday, with Portland’s average April rainfall being only 2.89 inches.

Next week will see a slight drop in temperature but no return to recent dreary conditions, with possible showers but little total rainfall. Timberline Lodge is still open for skiing and snowboarding and is expected to stay open at least Friday and Saturday, while Mount Hood Meadows is set to reopen for one last round Friday and Saturday before fully ending the season. The Northwest Avalanche Center has warned visitors in the Washington Cascades and Mount Hood areas to be mindful of dangerous avalanche conditions during the prolonged warm-up. Streams and rivers fed by the Cascades will also be on the rise in the coming days, although there hasn’t been enough snow melt to produce flooding.