HEATWAVE BITES
Deadly heatwave pushes temperatures to record highs as California’s drought causes invasion of RATTLESNAKES
A DEADLY heatwave has pushed temperatures to record highs in the Northwest as California's drought has led to an invasion of rattlesnakes.
Parts of , , , and are all experiencing record-high temperatures that could be dangerous and will leave certain areas more vulnerable to wildfires.
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, Oregon, already broke its all-time record high when it hit 108 degrees on Saturday and the worst of the peak is still projected to come.
On Sunday, it reached its highest temperature in more than 80 years of record-keeping.
The record soared to 112 degrees in what is expected to be the most severe heat wave the northwest has ever endured.
In Seattle, a temperature of 102 on Saturday was the second hottest ever recorded.
The record temperatures come after:
- Excessive heat warnings
- in California
- Experts warned
Sunday's temperatures set new records again as it surged to 104 degrees.
The scorching temps are expected to stick around through the weekend and into Monday.
In Spokane, Washington, the National Weather Service warned "this event will likely be one of the most extreme and prolonged heat waves in recorded history of the Inland Northwest.
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"Unprecedented heat will not only threaten the health of residents in the Inland Northwest but will make our region increasingly vulnerable to wildfires and intensify the impacts of our ongoing drought," the warning stated.
The heatwave is being caused by a dome of high pressure across southwestern Canada and the Pacific Northwest, .
Much of the West, from Northern California, to Seattle, Portland, and even Boise, Idaho, is under extreme heat alerts.
The heatwave is the second one in a month after much of the Southwest and parts of California were recording extreme temperatures less than two weeks ago.
In some parts of Northern California, the hot dry weather has led to an influx of rattlesnakes on private property.
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Len Ramirez, who owns Ramirez Rattlesnake Removal, that he's been increasingly busy this summer across Northern California, as the snakes are getting onto people's porches, plants, and even children's play items.
"I am busier than I have ever been," he said. "Complaints are coming in from all over the state."
The rattlesnake remover said the drought is likely partially to blame as the snakes seek refuge from high temperatures and dry landscapes.
Ramirez worked through California's last drought and saw similar patterns of snakes seeking refuge, but he said development creeping into the animals' natural habitat may also play a role in the influx of snakes.
"There is so much development taking place, and that's going to displace wildlife, including rattlesnakes," he said.
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Extreme heat is bearing down on citizens elsewhere in the US as well.
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The Northeast is expected to see major stretches of steaming hot temperatures along much of the 1-95 corridor on Monday and Tuesday.
Temperatures from New York City down to Washington, DC, Richmond, Virginia, and Baltimore are expected to be pushing 100 degrees around mid-week.
Western US facing summer from HELL as extreme heat and drought threaten apocalyptic wildfires
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