Thursday, August 03, 2017

Now Haze, Too

It's supposed to be 107°F here again in Salem -- that was yesterday's high, a record -- and on top of that there is noticeable haze in the air, which meteorologists say is due to wildfires in British Columbia and in the mountains east of Salem. Here's a view of the haze here:



It's just a bit eerie.... Here's a satellite view of the Pacific Northwest, showing the big picture:


Meteorologists say the haze is keeping temperatures down a degree or two. There's an air quality alert for most of the state. In Portland it's even worse, with the air called "unhealthy" [news video that I can't get to embed; pictures from Portland].

I didn't mind the heat when I was younger -- I lived for 3 years in New Mexico and a year and half in Tempe, Arizona, and bicycled lots -- but as I've gotten older -- and, okay, larger -- I find it unpleasant. 80°F is about the top for me. The average high peaks at 84°F here, but in recent years there have been 100+ °F heat waves every couple of years. This is the worst I've see since I've been here. I loathe air conditioning, but am using it these last few days -- a fan just isn't enough. Even my cats are content to stay inside.

1 comment:

Layzej said...

Stay cool, and take solace that 107F was just the average temperature in Death Valley last month. And that's including night time "low" temps.

Saudi Arabia beat them by a hair though in 2015 for hottest month ever recorded.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/08/03/death-valley-set-record-hottest-month-u-s-history/537988001/