It begins.
Thursday kicks off a string of rare, but not unprecedented, days above 90 degrees. As temperatures heat up on the Fourth of July, health experts caution that a triple-digit weekend would be best spent at a cool place, preferably inside and drinking plenty of water instead of wine.
But, this being the holiday, and with one of Portland’s biggest annual events in full swing along the Willamette River, there also are ways to try to beat the heat while enjoying the festivities.
The Waterfront Blues Festival has a cooling center available and is taking other precautions. Portlanders can stay cool at fountains and splash pads and indoor malls. Cities and counties are opening cooling centers Friday.
Some advice for celebrants is to recognize that alcohol dehydrates the body and “minimize or abstain from alcohol or caffeine use,” said Dr. Summer Tewksbury, an emergency medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente.
Intoxication can hinder someone’s ability to recognize if they’re starting to feel the signs of heat related illness, Tewksbury said. Drinkers could also mistake drunkenness for confusion, which is a sign of heat illness.
She also urged people to avoid being outside during the heat wave, if at all possible.
It’s hard to pin down a particular temperature where people should stay inside, she said.
The general public is at risk of heat stroke or heat exhaustion if caught outside in 100-degree heat, but some people – including those in vulnerable populations like infants and young children, people with chronic medical conditions and elderly people – could start to struggle in temperatures in the high 80s or low 90s as well.
Read: How to recognize heat-related illness symptoms and what to do
“If you have anything planned: a sports activity, strenuous exercise, you want to go hiking or whatever, I would just really second think it,” Tewksbury said. “Take a couple of days to stay indoors if you can.”
As you kick off your Independence Day festivities, here are a few additional things to keep in mind:
- Portland Fire & Rescue announced a burn ban earlier this week. Backyard fires are a no-go. Grilling is still allowed, though grills or barbecues or smokers should be kept 10 feet from anything flammable. Burn bans span several counties. See a comprehensive list here.
- Fireworks have been permanently banned in the Rose City since 2022 following devastating firework-caused blazes. The Eagle Creek Canyon fire scarred 48,000 acres of the Columbia River Gorge in 2017 and the deadly Heidi Manor apartment fire in 2021 killed three people. Fireworks are also outlawed in Vancouver and Milauwkie and in federal forests, state beaches, parks and campgrounds. More on fireworks here.
Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.
Stories about the July Fourth heat wave
- Oregon heat wave topped out Tuesday at record-breaking 110 degrees in Hermiston
- 9 deaths now tied to excessive heat in Oregon
- Oregon coast businesses, hotels feel ‘bump’ from tourists escaping the heat
- West Linn drowning victim left life jacket on dock, first responders say
- Some school summer programming paused in Portland area due to lack of air conditioning