Study: Future heat waves could rival 2021 Portland heat dome

Driving the news: Researchers at Portland State University synthesized more than 70 research papers on the causes and consequences of the heat dome to determine the likelihood that high-heat events could recur.

By the numbers: Temperatures in Portland spiked to 108, 112 and 116°F over the course of three days in June 2021.

• 72 people died of heat-related illness in Multnomah County, with the vast majority over the age of 70, living alone and without air conditioning.

Between the lines: The spiking temps were driven by a strong ridge of high pressure, sinking air over land and moisture from the tropical Pacific, among other factors.

• Paul Loikith, associate professor of geography at Portland State and co-author of the study, said there's no evidence that any of those phenomena are becoming more common.

Yes, but: With climate change warming our baseline temperatures, we might not need a perfect storm of meteorological factors to see that kind of heat again.

The bottom line: "By the end of the 21st century, a heat wave of this magnitude potentially could be experienced once a decade or maybe even more frequently," Loikith said in a statement.