Nature Matters: PNW Heat Dome

Graphic of 2021 heat dome. /Image by Dr. Paul Loikith

On Thursday, March 23, the next Nature Matters talk will focus on the historic Pacific Northwest 2021 heat wave with a talk by Dr. Paul Loikith, director of the Portland State Climate Lab.

The Nature Matters series consists of monthly conversations about the intersection of nature and culture. These events take place on the fourth Thursdays of the month at 7 p.m., October through May, at the Fort George Brewery + Public House (1483 Duane Street in Astoria).

About the talk:

"In late June 2021, the Pacific Northwest experienced a heat wave of historical proportions. The feature, also known as a "heat dome", developed and strengthened over the course of several days due to a complex combination of weather events spanning the North Pacific. Several locations broke their all-time high temperature record, often by several degrees. Impacts of the heat were profound and tragic on humans and the natural environment, with hundreds of people losing their lives across the region. In this talk, Dr. Paul Loikith, will break down the progression of meteorological factors that caused this extraordinary heat wave.

During this heat wave, Canada set a new national high temperature record of 121 degrees while Washington set a new state record of 120 and Oregon tied its previous all-time high of 119 degrees. The most influential meteorological factor was a massive, record-breaking area of hot high pressure above the Earth's surface centered over central British Columbia. The feature, also known as a "heat dome, developed and strengthened over the course of several days due to a complex combination of weather events spanning the North Pacific. We will look at how the strength, location, and timing of this massive ridge of high pressure contributed to the extreme heat experienced at the surface through several mechanisms and why this event was so much more severe from previous extreme heat waves. The state-of-the-science understanding of the role that global warming played in the event and what this heat wave tells us about the risk of future extreme heat across the Pacific Northwest will also be discussed.Dr. Paul Loikith is an associate professor of weather and climate science in the Department of Geography at Portland State University where he is the director of the Portland State Climate Science Lab. Dr. Loikith has a B.S. in Meteorology and a PhD in Atmospheric Science from Rutgers University. Prior to joining the PSU faculty in 2015, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. Dr. Loikith's research focuses broadly on the atmospheric drivers of extreme weather and climate events at regional to global scales and how these drivers are influenced by a warming climate."

Doors open at 6 p.m. to purchase dinner or beverages at the George before the event. The series delves into how humans look to the natural world for inspiration, sustenance, and survival. The collaborative series is hosted by Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Lewis & Clark National Park Association, and the North Coast Watershed Association in partnership with the Fort George Brewery + Public House and is free to the public.

Learn more about the Nature Matters series here.