"The water temperatures off the coasts of Oregon and Washington reached “extreme” levels in late July and August of 2023 – an event that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ranks a Category 4 on a scale of 5."

"Oceans around the world are hotter than ever before in the record-keeping era – and those high temps have now reached the Pacific Northwest.

Colin McCarthy, an atmospheric scientist and extreme weather influencer tweeted that “[o]ne of the most intense marine heatwaves on Earth has developed off the West Coast of the US, with water temperatures peaking nearly 5°C (9°F) above normal.”"

Julie Evensen reports for the Portland Oregonian August 7, 2023. [2]