9 Things That Were Historically Hot in 2021

Residents in Oregon and Washington experienced a heat wave like no other in history. Portland reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in late June, setting an all-time heat record. The city also recorded three consecutive days of above 100-degree weather, a first in recorded history. The blistering temperatures literally left roads warped and melted powerlines, showing infrastructure in normally temperate regions is simply not equipped to handle the new, hotter climate.

Portland had nothing on Salem, though, which hit 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 degrees Celsius) days around the same time. For perspective, that’s just 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) short of matching the all-time heat record for Las Vegas. A town did actually beat that record—in Canada. Lytton, British Columbia hit 121.2 degrees Fahrenheit (49.6 degrees Celsius) during the same heat wave, shattering Canada’s all-time hot temperature mark. Just a few days later, early the entire town burned down in a wildfire.