Portland is headed for a sharp jump in temperatures this weekend, with forecasters calling for a high of 79 degrees on Saturday before the city could climb to 92 degrees on Sunday. That would put the Oregon city just shy of its May 3 daily record of 89 degrees, set in 1992.
Hannah Chandler-Cooley said the region is likely to come close to record-breaking temperatures and that Sunday is the day to watch for possible records. She said early May heat in the 90s is unusual and warned that people may not be used to it yet, urging them to stay hydrated and practice heat safety even if the weather does not feel extreme at first.
The warm spell is expected to ease on Monday, with Portland dropping to about 70 degrees by Tuesday. Eugene is also forecast to reach the mid-80s, underscoring how widespread the heat will be across Oregon this weekend.
The broader pattern fits a larger regional shift. A heat wave blanketing most of British Columbia is moving down the Pacific Northwest, and Oregon is among the states preparing for much hotter temperatures than usual. Climate Central research has identified Portland, Eugene and Medford as among the fastest-warming cities in the U.S., giving this weekend’s forecast a longer-term backdrop that is hard to ignore.
For Portland, the immediate question is not whether it will get hot — it will — but how close Sunday comes to the record and how quickly the area cools once the weekend ends.
