Is PDX Actually A Warm Outlier?

[Doom Buster]

This is to answer the question in regards to PDX's temps/records/anomalies compared to its own long term station data. In other words, is PDX actually a warm outlier when we look at all those recent heat records it has set?

Most of this I've posted before elsewhere, but since a couple people asked, here is some evidence compiled into a separate topic to reference.

1. Here is probably the simplest way to see how PDX has recently run compared to its long term temp records, and also compared to other stations over the same time. Let's look at five Portland area stations that all have at least decent periods of record and data: PDX, downtown Portland (only the current location), VUO, Battle Ground, and Forest Grove. These are @BLI snowman approved, so you know they're the best we got.

Since 2013, PDX has run +1.8 over its long term annual temperature mean.

Over the same period, downtown Portland: +.5

VUO: -.5

Battle Ground: +.3

Forest Grove: +.5

 

2. Record warm months. Let's see how many each of these 5 stations have set since 2013.

PDX: 16

Downtown: 6

VUO: 0 (something's probably off here)

Battle Ground: 4

Forest Grove: 1 (missing data too many months to fully trust, but that's the number)

 

 

 

[Tanis Leach]

Thanks for putting this together! Much appreciated. 

[Doom Buster]

Here's where June finished for all Portland area NWS stations.

PDX: +2.0

Downtown: +.8

VUO: +1.2

HIO: +.8

McMinnville: +.7

Battle Ground: +1.1

Estacada: +1.1

Vernonia: -.2

[Doom Buster]

Halfway through a very warm July.

PDX: +7.6

Downtown: +6.5

VUO: +6.5

HIO: +6.5

McMinnville: +6.6

Battle Ground: missing data

Estacada: +6.9

Vernonia: missing data

[Doom Buster]

July

PDX: +4.2 (hottest on record)

Downtown: +2.8 (#5 hottest)

VUO: +3.5 (missing three days of data

HIO: +3.2 (#2 hottest)

McMinnville: +3.3 (#2 hottest, missing a couple days data)

Battle Ground: +5.2 (missing one day, hottest on record)

Estacada: +3.3

Vernonia: +2.3

Forest Grove: +3.5

[Doom Buster]

For 2025 so far...

PDX

Jan: -.6

Feb: -1.2

Mar: +2.2

Downtown

Jan: -1.4

Feb: -2.6

Mar: +.3

HIO

Jan: -1.5

Feb: -1.7

Mar: +.8

MMV

Jan: -1.7

Feb: -2.0

Mar: +.8

Battle Ground

Jan: -1.7

Feb: -2.2

Mar: +.8

[ClarkCountyChill]

On 3/26/2025 at 7:50 AM, Front Ranger said:

For 2025 so far...

PDX

Jan: -.6

Feb: -1.2

Mar: +2.2

Downtown

Jan: -1.4

Feb: -2.6

Mar: +.3

HIO

Jan: -1.5

Feb: -1.7

Mar: +.8

MMV

Jan: -1.7

Feb: -2.0

Mar: +.8

Battle Ground

Jan: -1.7

Feb: -2.2

Mar: +.8

Probably should include VUO since that is physically the closest station to PDX. Swap it out for downtown Portland since that station has been a freaky cold outlier for years now.

[Doom Buster]

7 minutes ago, ClarkCountyChill said:

Probably should include VUO since that is physically the closest station to PDX. Swap it out for downtown Portland since that station has been a freaky cold outlier for years now.

Unfortunately, VUO is missing a bunch of days in January which is why I excluded them. But they, like downtown, have overall been closer to the mean of all local stations than PDX - which remains the biggest outlier for at least the past year.

[WeatherProtogen]

On 7/2/2024 at 6:10 PM, Front Ranger said:

This is to answer the question in regards to PDX's temps/records/anomalies compared to its own long term station data. In other words, is PDX actually a warm outlier when we look at all those recent heat records it has set?

Most of this I've posted before elsewhere, but since a couple people asked, here is some evidence compiled into a separate topic to reference.

1. Here is probably the simplest way to see how PDX has recently run compared to its long term temp records, and also compared to other stations over the same time. Let's look at five Portland area stations that all have at least decent periods of record and data: PDX, downtown Portland (only the current location), VUO, Battle Ground, and Forest Grove. These are @BLI snowman approved, so you know they're the best we got.

Since 2013, PDX has run +1.8 over its long term annual temperature mean.

Over the same period, downtown Portland: +.5

VUO: -.5

Battle Ground: +.3

Forest Grove: +.5

 

2. Record warm months. Let's see how many each of these 5 stations have set since 2013.

PDX: 16

Downtown: 6

VUO: 0 (something's probably off here)

Battle Ground: 4

Forest Grove: 1 (missing data too many months to fully trust, but that's the number)

 

 

 

I not sure.