PNW Mountains and Rivers Feel the Heat




    The Pacific Northwest, from Northern California to Alaska, is experiencing a climate-change enhanced heat wave this week.  Compare the highs from around the country and the picture is clear. It is hot. Things are changing.

On Tuesday, the Oregonian reported that Portland broke it’s previous record of 107° set in 1965 with a new, all-time record of 116°. This was above the predicted high of 114° given by the National Weather Service (NWS). Thermometers across the Pacific Northwest and British Colombia had measurements well above average high temperatures for the region. 

According to climatologist Brian Brettschneider, Layton, BC, reached an astounding, 121°f, higher than the records of most of the North American continent. His map below shows the scant few stations in North America that have ever recorded a temperature that high.



In Southeast Alaska, glacial melting accelerated due to the heat wave. The NWS there moved the Taku River Flood Watch up to a Flood Advisory as the river swelled with ice melt.



NWS meteorologist Nicole Ferrin told the Juneau, Alaska-based radio station KINY that "[On Sunday] The Taku River hit the minor flood stage of 43 feet during the overnight hours last night as a result of the really warm temperatures we have going on . . . With all the hot air that's pushing up from the Pacific Northwest and Canada, snow melt is flowing into the Taku River Basin and it's basically going to continue to see a slow and steady rise over the next couple of days."

            In Washington's North Cascades National Park a major bridge on the Pacific Crest Trail was washed out and that creek is now impassable until further notice.


The Bridge Creek Trail south from SR20 to Stehekin is impassable until further notice after the North Fork Bridge washed away. PCT long distance permit holders may use McAlester Stock camp until a temporary bridge is constructed at North Fork. Expect snow at McAlester Pass.#PCT pic.twitter.com/XsMMjos54W

Similarly, Mount Rainier National Park is warning visitors to watch out for high river and creek levels as the heat swells the park's many drainages with ice melt.

In northern California, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest reported major road damage caused by a debris flow in the Mud Creek Glacier drainage on Mount Shasta, and warned people to stay away from the drainage during the heat wave.





     Mud creek is on the Southeast side of Mount Shasta (Red dots)


  The effects of the heat wave are wide reaching, and add to problems already identified by many government and policy groups. From British Columbia to Oregon and beyond, the heat wave is another event experts will add to the growing amount of evidence that climate change is having drastic effects on forests, mountains, rivers, and people.

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