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The unprecedented Pacific Northwest heatwave of June 2021

Author

Listed:
  • Rachel H. White

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Sam Anderson

    (University of British Columbia)

  • James F. Booth

    (City College of New York
    City University of New York)

  • Ginni Braich

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Christina Draeger

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Cuiyi Fei

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Christopher D. G. Harley

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Sarah B. Henderson

    (British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
    University of British Columbia)

  • Matthias Jakob

    (University of British Columbia
    BCG Engineering Inc)

  • Carie-Ann Lau

    (BCG Engineering Inc)

  • Lualawi Mareshet Admasu

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Veeshan Narinesingh

    (Princeton University)

  • Christopher Rodell

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Eliott Roocroft

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Kate R. Weinberger

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Greg West

    (BC Hydro)

Abstract

In late June 2021 a heatwave of unprecedented magnitude impacted the Pacific Northwest region of Canada and the United States. Many locations broke all-time maximum temperature records by more than 5 °C, and the Canadian national temperature record was broken by 4.6 °C, with a new record temperature of 49.6 °C. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of this event and its impacts. Upstream diabatic heating played a key role in the magnitude of this anomaly. Weather forecasts provided advanced notice of the event, while sub-seasonal forecasts showed an increased likelihood of a heat extreme with lead times of 10-20 days. The impacts of this event were catastrophic, including hundreds of attributable deaths across the Pacific Northwest, mass-mortalities of marine life, reduced crop and fruit yields, river flooding from rapid snow and glacier melt, and a substantial increase in wildfires—the latter contributing to landslides in the months following. These impacts provide examples we can learn from and a vivid depiction of how climate change can be so devastating.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel H. White & Sam Anderson & James F. Booth & Ginni Braich & Christina Draeger & Cuiyi Fei & Christopher D. G. Harley & Sarah B. Henderson & Matthias Jakob & Carie-Ann Lau & Lualawi Mareshet Admas, 2023. "The unprecedented Pacific Northwest heatwave of June 2021," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-36289-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36289-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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