🍳 Yikes, it’ll be 105

105 Degrees Today?

Today’s high could be 105 degrees in areas of the Willamette Valley and Hood River. But the heat is expected to break, with a relatively cool 92 degrees expected for tomorrow. Portland summers have been on average 3 degrees hotter since 2020. In the 90 years before 2020, Portland saw on average one 100-degree day per year. [OPB]

• Related: Portland has broken the daily record high temperature at least once so far this week, with more records expected. [Oregonian]

Tips for Saving on Heatwave Energy Costs

Among the advice offered by experts on how to stay cool but save on energy costs are to open your windows early in the day and late at night to cool off your house, to use box fans to help the air conditioning along, and to set the air conditioning for only 20 degrees lower than the outside temperature or it’ll never catch up. [KOIN]

• Related: Take care on the rivers if you get a chance to get out there, including watching out for shockingly cold water. [KOIN]

No. 19 for Most Congestion

The rush hour commute in the Portland area got six hours longer last year as driving picked up post-pandemic. That means drivers who commute all year spend a whole workweek’s worth of time caught in traffic: 39 hours. Highway 26 and I-5 to Vancouver are particular snarls. But it’s still not as hectic as before the pandemic. [Oregonian]

What’s at Stake in City Council’s New District 1 Race

Portlanders are electing a brand-new, expanded City Council this fall, and the candidates are flooding in: More than 80 people have already said they’re hoping to run for one of the 12 open seats. So this month, we’re going to help you make sense of the race. Today Oregonian City Hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh is here to help us make sense of the crowded field in East Portland’s District 1.