Oregon’s 2021 heat dome notches another record

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Alex Hasenstab

Published February 11, 2022 at 10:30 AM PST

People float the Deschutes River through Bend, Ore., in the shadow of Mount Bachelor Friday, June 25, 2021. Weekend temperatures were forecast to reach nearly 110 degrees.

Last summer’s heat wave broke regional high-temperature records across the Pacific Northwest.

But on Thursday it officially notched another record. Last year in June, a recorded temperature in Central Oregon tied a longstanding record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton announced Thursday that the State Climate Extremes Committee has verified a tied, all-time Oregon maximum temperature of 119 degrees.

The high temp was recorded in Jefferson County at Pelton Dam and Moody Farms Agrimet on June 29, 2021. The 2021 extreme tied the previous record of 119 degrees at Prineville on July 29, 1898, and Pendleton on Aug 10, 1898.

Nearly 100 people died in Oregon during the extreme weather event, leading to temporary protections for people at significant risk. Lawmakers are considering bills in the February legislative session that would fund cooling systems and other protections for future heat waves.