Currently in Portland — June 29, 2023: Just a bit warmer

The weather, currently.

You guessed it—we've got another beautiful day coming this Thursday. The weather will be pretty similar to what we've had so far this week, but just a little warmer. High temps will be in the high-mid 80s, and the overnight cooldown will be back in the 50s—but sticking to the high 50s this time. While we're enjoying this perfect summer weather, other areas are really struggling with the effects of climate change right now. Parts of Texas have been facing THREE WEEKS of temps in the 100s, and there have been heat related deaths. So even when things are cool and comfortable here, it's important to keep best practices in mind to help mitigate further climate damage. Because when it comes to the weather, the whole world is our community.

— Stella Harris

What you can do, currently.

Currently is entirely member funded, and right now we need your support!

Our annual summer membership drive is underway — with a goal to double our membership base over the next six weeks which will guarantee this service can continue throughout this year’s hurricane season. We’ll need 739 new members by July 31 to make this goal happen.

If these emails mean something important to you — and more importantly, if the idea of being part of a community that’s building a weather service for the climate emergency means something important to you — please chip in just $5 a month to continue making this service possible.

Thank you!!

What you need to know, currently.

Astonishingly record-setting Atlantic Ocean temperatures have helped trigger a record-breaking melting of the Greenland ice sheet surface this week, new data show.

This week’s melt covered more than 50% of the Greenland ice sheet, only the third time that has ever happened since modern records have been kept, and the earliest-ever in the melt season. Above-freezing temperatures were recorded all the way to the top of the enormous ice sheet, more than 10,000 ft (3,300 m) above sea level. Temperatures reached 73°F (23°C) in far northern Greenland due to downsloping dry winds.

The Greenland melt was “certainly an extreme melt event highlighting the climate emergency,” according to Joel Gombiner, a polar scientist at the University of Washington. “The Greenland ice sheet completely melted last time CO2 was this high. The only question is how fast it disappears this time.”

Greenland is warmer now than at any time over at least the past 1,000 years. The melting of the Greenland ice sheet is directly linked to climate change caused by burning fossil fuels, and an acceleration of its melt is one of the tipping points expected if global warming exceeds the 1.5°C target agreed to in the Paris Climate Accord.

—Eric Holthaus