August was Bend’s second-hottest on record

Although August was less smoky than it was in 2018, it was still the second-warmest August in Bend history, according to the National Weather Service office in Pendleton.

The average August temperature in Bend this year was 67.9 degrees — 4.1 degrees higher than normal, according to the weather service’s monthly climate summary. High temperatures averaged 84.6 degrees, which was 3.3 degrees higher than normal, and low temperatures averaged 51.1 degrees, which was 4.8 degrees higher than normal.

The hottest day in Bend was Aug. 8, with a high of 95 degrees, while the coolest temperature was 43 degrees Aug. 12. The heat exceeded 90 degrees on six days.

The hottest August in Bend history was two years ago, in 2017, according to the weather service. The average temperature that year was 68.8 degrees.

Bend’s hot August comes after a cooler-than-normal July.

According to Marilyn Lohmann from the weather service office in Pendleton, the reason for the sharp difference in month-to-month temperatures has to do with wind. In July, wind from the Pacific Ocean brought cooler air over Central Oregon, she said. But in August, a southwest flow of wind from California and Nevada brought warm air, she said.

August was wetter than average in Bend this year. According to the weather service, the city received 1.08 inches of precipitation this year, 0.6 inches more than normal. Most of that rain came on one day: Aug. 22, when 0.75 inches fell.

In 2019 so far, Bend has received 10.54 inches of precipitation, which is 3.78 inches more than the typical amount by this time of year.

Lohmann said the southwest warm winds also brought thunderstorms to Central Oregon this summer, including hail Aug. 10.

The weather service is predicting a slightly warmer September than normal in Bend this year. Lohmann said that because the dry weather will continue, and thunderstorms are expected at the end of the week, there’s still a chance for a fire in the region. However, she said any fire that occurs won’t be too large, because the longer nights mean humidity is restored earlier in the day.

“Everything is still quite dry; we haven’t had any season-ending precipitation events,” she said. “It just depends on the weather.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7854, jhogan@bendbulletin.com