COLUMBIA RIVER CROSS CHANNEL SWIM. >> YEAH, THAT'S ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY. SOME GREAT SWIMMERS OUT THERE. WHAT A WEIRD WEATHER PATTERN. WE'RE HOT WEATHER. YEAH. THEN COOL FOR A FEW DAYS THAT EXTREMELY HOT FOR A FEW DAYS BEEN COOL FOR A FEW DAYS. MOTHER NATURE IS GOING TO KEEP THAT KIND OF PING-PONG ING BACK AND FORTH FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. BUNDLE UP BECAUSE THE HEIST OF THE HEAT IS EXPECTED AS WE WORK OUR WAY LATER INTO THE WEEK. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT THE COLUMBIA RIVER OUT TOWARDS THE VANCOUVER WATERFRONT. THIS THANKS TO OUR 13 COINS CAMERA AS WE EXPECT TO HOLD ON TO THAT CLOUD COVERAGE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS EVENING AND THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS OUR TEMPERATURE FLIRTS WITH 70 DEGREES WINDS RIGHT NOW, THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST AT ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR SUNSET TONIGHT, 7.45 HERE. SHOWERS PAST FORECAST. IF YOU'RE NOT A SWIMMER IN YOU LIKE TO DO THE BIKING, YOU GOT THE GREEN BIKES TO GO AS THOSE TEMPERATURES ARE ACTUALLY EXPECTED TO STABILIZE. IF MY EVEN MAYBE WARM TO THE LOW 70'S BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE 8 O'CLOCK HOUR. BUT THE CLOUD COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE EVENING TIME FRAME IS GOING TO ACT A BIT LIKE A BLANKET TRAPPING SOME OF THE HEAT. BUT SOME OF THOSE CLOUDS EARLIER IN THE DAY HELP TO PRODUCE JUST A COUPLE OF RAINDROPS FILLING UP OUR RAIN GAUGE TO 3, 1, HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY. SEE MUCH OF THE SAME OUT ALONG THE COASTLINES. THE CLOUD COVERAGE IS STILL WIDESPREAD. YOU'LL NOTICE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TRYING TO PUSH ITS WAY INTO THE CASCADES. LIKELY GOING TO BE A BARRIER, STOPPING ANY OF THAT MOISTURE FROM ACTUALLY FINDING ITS WAY BACK INTO THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AS THE CENTER OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO SIT JUST IN THROUGH THE SOUTH WESTERN SECTIONS OF OUR STATE, HELPING TO DRAW IN A LOT MORE THAT MOISTURE OUT TOWARDS THE EAST. BUT THESE LIGHTNING STRIKES LESS THAN IDEAL AS WE REMAIN ELEVATED WITH THAT FIRE THREATS. THAT'S WHERE RED FLAG WARNING CONTINUES AT LEAST THROUGH ABOUT 8 O'CLOCK TONIGHT DUE TO THE GUSTY WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY AND OF COURSE, THE LIGHTNING POTENTIALLY STARTING AND SPREADING NEW CONDITIONS, WHICH ISN'T SURPRISING WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT HOW DRY THINGS ARE EAST OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE IS THE SNOW CONTINUES TO MOUNT. THAT'S WHERE WE CONTINUE TO SEE ELEVATED FIRE RISK. THOSE VIEWS JUST COMING IN FROM OUT TOWARDS THE MOSER AREA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. AND AS FAR AS THE RAIN ACCUMULATION GOES STILL SEEING BELOW NORMAL, AT LEAST WE LOOK AT THE MONTH AS A WHOLE NOW, SEPTEMBER WHERE WE TYPICALLY SHOULD SEE ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF. BUT OUR TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO COOL THIS MONTH. 77 IS THAT NEW AVERAGE DAYTIME HIGH AND THOSE OVERNIGHT LOWS TYPICALLY IN THE MID 50'S. BUT OVERALL OVER THE NEXT 6 TO 10 DAYS, WE DO EXPECT TO TREND ON THE WARMER SIDE AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE US INTO THE HEART OF THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER IS WE'VE ALREADY HAD OUR FAIR SHARE OF 21 DAYS IN THE 90 DEGREE RANGE AND 3 DAYS IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS ZONE WILL LIKELY BE ADDING ON TO THOSE TALLIES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS WE ARE LIKELY TO NEAR RECORD BREAKING CONDITIONS FOR THURSDAY. YEP, THAT'S NOT A TYPO. THE CENTURY MARK POSSIBLE LATER THIS WEEK. 99 DEGREES FOR FRIDAY. LIKELY BREAKING THE OLD RECORD LAST SET BACK IN 1958. AND AS FAR AS THAT CLOUD COVERAGE GOES TAKING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TOMORROW, MAYBE PICKING UP ON A LIGHT DRIZZLE OUT ALONG THE COASTLINE. AS WE START TO CLEAR THOSE CLOUDS, THE SUNSHINE, IT DOES RETURN WITH A NORTH WIND AT ABOUT 5 TO 10 AND ITS THAT SUNSHINE. IT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP BUILD OUR TEMPERATURES AS WE MOVE INTO WEDNESDAY AND EVENTUALLY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WHERE THE PEAK OF THE HEAT IS EXPECTED. BUT FOR TONIGHT, WE HOLD ON TO THAT CLOUD COVERAGE. WE STABILIZE THOSE TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 60'S AS THE WINDS REMAIN OUT THE NORTH AT ABOUT 5 TO 10. HERE'S WHAT'S ON TAP FOR TOMORROW ALONG THE COAST. 60'S AND 70'S FOR US. MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS. MAYBE A MORNING DRIZZLE. THE I-5 COID ALSO EXPECTING TO SEE THOSE UPPER 70'S LOW 80'S AND OUT TOWARDS THE EAST. ALSO EXPECTING TO SEE THAT WARMING TREND. I'VE GOT A HEAD IN HIGHLIGHTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY READ THOSE ARE KOIN. 6 WEATHER ALERT DAYS AS WE PREPARE FOR THE EXCESSIVE, IF NOT EVEN DANGEROUS HEAT TO RETURN TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. WE INCREASE THE CLOUD COVERAGE INCLUDES TEMPERATURES BACK DOWN AND ONE WEEK. THIS ROLLER COASTER RIDE THAT WE'VE BEEN ON JUST TAKES US INTO