Temperatures expected to climb past 100 degrees on Sunday and Monday
Ashland.news staff report
Southern Oregon is facing “dangerously” hot conditions Sunday morning through late Monday night with the high temperature in Ashland forecast to exceed 100 degrees Sunday and Monday, while Medford will hit 107 both days, according to the National Weather Service forecast as of Thursday.
Hot, dry conditions and high winds Friday afternoon have prompted a red flag warning due to the elevated fire danger, and an extreme heat watch is in effect from 8 a.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Dan Weygand, a meteorologist with the Medford office of the National Weather Service, said Thursday, Aug. 7, that a high-pressure system is bringing hot, dry conditions to the region, with Ashland temperatures forecast to peak at 102 degrees on Sunday and 101 degrees Monday. Weygand said overnight lows will remain unusually warm, in the upper 60s. While these temperatures are just shy of Ashland’s records for early August, officials warn that the heat can still pose serious health risks.
With the excessive heat watch, Weygand said people are urged to take precautions, including staying hydrated, avoiding outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day — noon to 5 p.m. — and seeking air conditioning whenever possible.
Weygand said the “young and old” are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
“Make sure they’re staying hydrated,” he said. “Check in on folks.”
The weather service also warned against leaving children and pets unattended in vehicles, as car interiors can reach “lethal temperatures” within minutes.
Staying cool
People who need cool places to get out of the heat can find quiet, cool places in and around Ashland, including Ashland parks, downstairs at the Ashland Public Library (from 9 a.m. to noon and from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday; the library itself is open noon to 5 p.m.), and other public and private facilities that are open during the heat of the day, according to emergency service officials.
An Ashland cooling center will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 11 and 12, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 44 N. 2nd St., according to a city news release.
Community meals will be offered by local volunteers at the Gresham Room in the Ashland Public Library from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays this summer. The meals are hosted by Southern Oregon Housing for All downstairs at the Ashland Public Library at 410 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland.
Red flag warning
The weather service also issued a red flag warning from 2 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8.
The weather service issues a red flag warning when it identifies weather conditions that promote the rapid spread of fire, which may become life-threatening. It does not mean there is a fire.
“With it being hotter and drier than normal,” Weygand said, “it reaches our criteria for elevated fire danger. That means that if we had any fires that started, they would have a higher risk of spreading rapidly.”
Winds out of the northwest are forecast to hit 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph Friday afternoon and into the early evening.
Email Ashland.news associate editor Steve Mitchell at stevem@ashland.news.
