Dry stretch of weather grows to 18 days Friday, fire threat grows

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The number of days without rain continues to grow in Portland. That comes as another round of heat builds this weekend.

Sunshine will force temperatures into the mid- to upper-70s Friday afternoon in Portland. The dry skies will continue through the day into the weekend. This comes off the heals of a record-breaking dry spell for the month of May hitting 16 consecutive days without rainfall. That trumps the old May record of 15 days set back in 1955.

This calm and quiet stretch of weather will continue to dry Oregon and Washington's landscape. That will help increase the wildfire threat. A fire in eastern Lane County started burning earlier this week and a brush fire near Beavercreek Thursday evening is a sign of the drying landscape.

Abnormally dry conditions have started to close in on the Portland metro area with the latest drought monitor issued Thursday.

Dry skies will continue to keep temperatures warm this weekend with highs in the low- to mid-80s. Evening temperatures have the chance to return to the low 90s by Tuesday around the Portland metro area.