WEATHER WARNING for record high temperatures and very high fire danger in Eastern Washington and Oregon | Weather

Red Flag Warning for the northern and southern Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington, the Yakima Valley, and the Columbia Basin until 11:00 p.m. Wednesday (a Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Kittitas Valley until 8:00 p.m. Thursday)…

Extreme heat warnings and advisories for parts of north-central and northeast Oregon and central, south-central and southeast Washington until 10 p.m. Wednesday…

Temperatures are 15-25° above average and could reach new record highs on Wednesday. There is little relief expected overnight, with lows between 18 and 21 degrees. Morning temperatures will remain warm, giving the record heat a head start.

The ridge responsible for the heat will shift its axis eastward by Thursday afternoon after a small low pressure system brings a cold front to the Pacific Northwest. “Cooler” temperatures will drop to just under 100 to just under 95 degrees Fahrenheit, with light to gusty winds in the afternoon, increasing our fire danger. We’ll still be 10 to 15 degrees above average through the weekend. Winds will pick up Wednesday afternoon, ushering in the front overnight, creating high fire danger. Wind speeds will be 15 to 25 mph along the lower eastern slopes of the Cascades and in the Yakima and Kittitas valleys, with gusts in those areas of 25 to 35 mph. This will be ahead of the fast-moving front that continues Thursday night into Friday morning.

The ridge continues to dominate the south and we’ll be riding its edge all weekend, with temperatures continuing to be in the triple digits. From Thursday through early next week we’ll stay in the low triple digits, 10-15° above average. No showers and just a few brief clouds on Sunday if anyone wants to cool off from the heat.

Tri-Cities:

Wednesday: 110/64

Thursday: 103/58

Friday: 104/60

Saturday: 102/62

Sunday: 103/63

Monday: 101/61

Tuesday: 100/59

Yakima:

Wednesday: 107/63

Thursday: 101/60

Friday: 101/61

Saturday: 102/64

Sunday: 101/64

Monday: 99/60

Tuesday: 98/63

Pendleton:

Wednesday: 106/63

Thursday: 99/63

Friday: 101/64

Saturday: 100/65

Sunday: 98/63

Monday: 97/64

Tuesday: 97/61

Walla-Walla:

Wednesday: 107/70

Thursday: 99/66

Friday: 100/67

Saturday: 101/63

Sunday: 98/66

Monday: 97/65

Tuesday: 96/63

Ellensburg:

Wednesday: 100/62

Thursday: 96/60

Friday: 96/63

Saturday: 97/64

Sunday: 98/63

Monday: 95/61

Tuesday: 94/62