Portland hits 100 degrees in September for second time since WWII

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland has officially hit 100-degree temperatures in September for the third time in recorded history.

KOIN 6 Meteorologist Kelley Bayern reports that a 100-degree day in September is highly unusual for the Portland area.

"Triple-digit heat in September is very rare, and prior to today, Portland had only had that happen twice in recorded history," Bayern said. "This is going back to data through 1938."

National Weather Service data shows Portland International Airport hit 100 degrees at 2:53 p.m. on Thursday. Temperatures continued to climb Thursday evening for the heat to hit 102 degrees by 5 p.m.

The earliest record of a 100-degree September day in Portland occurred on Sept. 5, 1944, when temperatures peaked at 101 degrees. On this day in 1944, U.S. troops were advancing into Belgium during the final year of WWII, movies were in black and white, and the most-played jukebox record was Bing Crosby’s "Swinging on a Star."

The last time Portland reached 100 degrees in September was Sept. 2, 1988, with a daily high of 105. At that time, Republican presidential nominee George H. W. Bush was running against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, Guns N’ Roses' "Sweet Child O’ Mine" was dominating the charts, and the top movies at the box office were "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master," "A Fish Called Wanda," and "Die Hard."

The Oregon Department of Forestry is urging the public to remain cautious this month as the risk of wildfire remains high. A red flag warning is in effect for the Cascades and the Columbia River Gorge until 11 p.m. Friday.