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Days after an unprecedented heat wave hit the Pacific Northwest, killing scores, officials in the western United States on Thursday were preparing for a another round of scorching heat expected to hit this weekend. While not expected to be as deadly as the wave that caused widespread highs of 100 or more, including 116 in Portland and 108 in Seattle, temperatures in the West are likely to be up to 25 degrees above average for this time of year, according to forecasts. (Foster-Frau, Suggs and Kreidler, 7/8)

Washington state’s death toll from last month’s record-breaking Pacific Northwest heat wave has risen to 78.A year earlier, Washington had just seven heat-related deaths from mid-June to the end of August, the state Department of Health said Thursday. From 2015 to 2020, there were a total of 39 deaths. (7/9)

California is bracing for another dangerous heat wave and record-breaking temperatures this weekend, just two weeks after a heat dome descended on the normally temperate Pacific Northwest, killing hundreds of people and capping North America’s hottest June on record. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for much of California beginning Friday at noon and extending into Monday night. Forecasters are predicting dangerous triple-digit highs and warm overnight lows for much of the state’s inland regions. (Paz, 7/8)

There is a chance that all-time temperature records could fall in the Las Vegas region this weekend, according to the latest National Weather Service forecast. Death Valley is forecast to reach 131 on Sunday, which would surpass its year-old record for the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth. The Saturday high is expected to be 130. Last August 16 a high of 130 was reached at the Death Valley visitor’s center. The reading remains under review by the Climate Extreme Committee, that studies and rules on the world’s extreme temperatures. (Clemons, 7/8)

Oregon adopted an emergency rule Thursday that strengthens requirements for employers to safeguard workers from extreme heat, including expanding access to shade and cool water in what advocates called the nation’s most protective heat rules following deadly record-high temperatures in the Pacific Northwest. “With these new rules, Oregon has a chance to lead the country in ensuring workplaces are safe from high heat, especially for those doing the most demanding and dangerous jobs like farming and construction,” said Kate Suisman, an attorney with the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project. (Selsky, 7/8)