Half of Oregon in ‘severe drought’ following record-setting July heat as wildfires rage

Zach Urness | Statesman Journal

More than half of Oregon is now experiencing severe drought, according to a report by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Fueled by one of the hottest and driest spring seasons on record, and made worse by one of the hottest months of July ever seen, Oregon has become a bone-dry tinderbox with wildfires popping up regularly across the state.

The current drought is the worst the state has seen since 2015, but has already brought considerably more wildfires.

Oregon wildfires have burned 291,000 acres as of July 31, more than double last year’s record-setting fire season at the same time, according to data from Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

“It’s not unusual to have very hot and dry weather in July,” National Weather Service meteorologist Gerald Macke said. “But this is extreme. We had periods of hot weather that lasted nine to 10 days, and that’s not normal.”

Both Salem and Portland set records for the most days above 90 degrees. Salem had 17 days above 90, compared to the average of just 5.4, according to NWS data.

Salem’s average temperature of 67.6 degrees in July was the third-hottest on record, with 2015 taking the top spot 73.1 degrees. Portland saw its second-hottest average temperature on record at 69.2.

All of this follows on the heels of near-record heat and dryness in May and June as well, which is why Oregon has dropped so deep into drought.

Ninety-five percent of Oregon is considered “abnormally dry” while 82 percent is in moderate drought and 55 percent is in severe drought, the Drought Monitor report said.

And there’s little relief in sight.

“We’re starting off the month with some cooler temperatures, but by next week we might well be back into the 90s,” Macke said. “Above normal summer heat the rest of the way is not a bad guess.

“We’re not expecting rain that will help with fire conditions until September at the earliest, and more likely October.”

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Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for 10 years. He is the author of the book “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.