Week looks to be 2018’s hottest so far

Forecasters expect this week will be Vancouver’s hottest of the year so far, with high temperatures expected to reach 90 degrees Wednesday after hanging around the high 80s today and Tuesday.

“Right now, Wednesday is looking like the warmest day,” said Miles Higa, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Portland.

“We’ve got a high-pressure ridge that’s building off the coast, and it’s going to shift inland over us,” he said, adding that this time of year, a mass of higher-pressure air means warm weather.

Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies with a high near 87 degrees in Vancouver, with more sunny weather and a high around 89 degrees Tuesday.

Wednesday appears as though it will be the week’s warmest, with a high around 91 degrees and partly sunny skies.

Higa said forecasters think that warm-air system will weaken and move east come Thursday, with onshore winds bringing cooler marine air and, possibly, clouds.

“Most models are agreeing that’s the transition we’ll see going into Thursday and Friday,” Higa said.

Forecasters said Thursday will be mostly sunny with a high temperature around 80 degrees. Weekend predictions call for temperatures in the mid high 70s.

Relief will come at sundown, with nighttime lows forecast around the high 50- to low 60-degree range through the week.