Washington heat
Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 37 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 256 heat records in Washington from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 16 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the June 26, 2021 excessive heat in Clark County: 5 deaths across 3 records. Washington ranks 34th of 51 states and territories by count and 40th of 50 per square mile.
Heat in Washington, 1996 to 2026
Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 2561996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 16average
- Deaths
- 2322 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 202274 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are heat records common in Washington?
Washington averages about 16 heat records a year since 2000, 34th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2022 (74). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Washington records 39 heat records since 1996, 40th of 50 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Washington have the most heat records?
Per square mile, Thurston County leads Washington: 17 days with a heat record since 1996, 23.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, King County has the most heat records (40 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the heat season in Washington?
52% of its heat records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (82 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 10 · Apr 1 · May 22 · Jun 48 · Jul 82 · Aug 51 · Sep 8 · Oct 18 · Nov 0 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest heat records in Washington?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatClark County · forecast zone Greater Vancouver Area One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A high pressure heat dome over the region led to stretch of extreme heat, shattering records from June 26 through June 29. Hot temperatures resulted in many people seeking locations to cool off in local rivers and beaches, which led to one drowning, as well as multiple people going to local hospitals for treatment of ... | 5 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-12 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin The local county coroner confirmed a heat related death of a 70 year old male on July 15th, and the heat related deaths of a couple, 85 year old female and 90 year old male, on July 16th. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-05-17 | HeatKing County and 2 more · forecast zone East Puget Sound Lowlands There were two indirect fatalities due to the heat. Both are missing and likely drowned. One kayaker spilled into the Green River and disappeared. One of 4 rafters, who where thrown into the Green River when their raft flipped, disappeared (King County). The Green river was well below flood stage. | 2 | 14 | – | |
| 2009-07-27 | Excessive HeatKing County and Kitsap County · forecast zone Seattle/Bremerton Area One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Strong high pressure aloft led to a major heat event for western Washington. The average temperature for July 2009 at Seattle-Tacoma airport was 69.5 degrees, the warmest July on record, and tying record for the warmest July on record in Seattle. During the heat wave, many other record and all-time record high ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Calculated heat risk at the KRLD AWOS recorded consecutive days between June 26th through June 30th of temperatures that met or exceeded excessive heat warning criteria. The GHCN station for Kennewick, WA recorded consecutive days between June 27th through July 1st of temperatures that met or exceeded excessive heat ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-06-26 | Excessive HeatClark County · forecast zone Greater Vancouver Area Afternoon temperatures were in the low to mid 90s which is around 20 degrees higher than the seasonal normals. The low temperatures were in the mid to upper 60s which is around 10 degrees above the seasonal normal. Several new daily temperature records were set for the warmest low temperatures. A man drowned while ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2015-06-07 | HeatClark County · forecast zone Greater Vancouver Area High Temperatures were in the low 90s June 7 through June 9th which is around 20 degrees higher than the seasonal normals. There is one known indirect heat related fatality where a teenager boy drowned while swimming in the Lewis River near Woodland. Newspaper articles suggest that he may have suffered from ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2014-07-01 | Excessive HeatClark County · forecast zone Greater Vancouver Area One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. An upper level ridge combined with a surface thermal trough and low level offshore winds resulted in a hot day across Southwest Washington where inland temperatures peaked in the upper 90s inland and the upper 80s along the coast. The NWS Portland office had a heat advisory in effect. Many people flocked to the rivers ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2010-07-25 | Excessive HeatColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills Temperatures topped 100 degrees for two successive days in Hanford, Pasco, Prosser, Basin City, Kennewick, Eltopia, Edna, Roosevelt, College Place, Whitman Mission, and Walla Walla. An 86 year old Walla Walla man died of heat stroke in his home. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-05 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin A Franklin county coroner confirmed that a 61 year old male east of Pasco, WA had died of hyperthermia, with alcohol intoxication a contributing factor. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
Are heat records becoming more frequent in Washington?
Washington's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Washington | United States | Washington's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 0 | 4,355 | 0 |
| 2000s | 41 | 9,163 | 0.45% |
| 2010s | 11 | 16,445 | 0.07% |
| 2020-26 | 204 | 26,796 | 0.76% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent heat records in Washington
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-12 | HeatKing County · forecast zone City Of Seattle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-11 | HeatClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone Northern Washington Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-12 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-05 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 3 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatBenton County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatPacific County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone South Coast | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatCowlitz County and Wahkiakum County · forecast zone Lower Columbia | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-06-26 | Excessive HeatClark County · forecast zone Greater Vancouver Area | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-08-01 | HeatWhatcom County · forecast zone Western Whatcom County | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 2017-05-27 | HeatClark County · forecast zone Greater Vancouver Area | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-08-18 | Excessive HeatClark County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Washington Cascade Foothills | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-04-19 | HeatKing County · forecast zone Seattle And Vicinity | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
- Thurston County: the county's whole recordThe Washington county with the most heat records per square mile
- Heat across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in WashingtonTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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- Floods in Washington832 records