As predicted temperatures could hit triple digits Tuesday and Wednesday, agencies around the Portland Metro area are holding off on opening overnight cooling shelters. That decision comes as the National Weather Service enacted a heat advisory for the Portland area and Willamette Valley, effective between noon, Tuesday and 10 p.m., Wednesday.

Officials in the tri-county area said they’ll continue to monitor conditions and ensure people stay safe.

Instead of opening cooling areas, Portland-area counties are pointing residents toward local libraries and other air-conditioned community spaces. Clackamas and Multnomah counties are also connecting with homeless individuals to provide supplies and assess their needs.

Washington County

Washington County Public Health Communications Coordinator Afiq Hisham said this week’s heat does not meet the county’s threshold for extending hours at county libraries or opening overnight shelters. The county took those steps during the deadly 2021 heat dome, when temperatures exceeded 110 degrees for multiple days.

“Extreme heat risk is the usual threshold for activating overnight shelters,” Hisham said in an email. “We take into consideration how unusual the heat is for the time of the year, the duration of the heat including both daytime and nighttime temperatures, and if those temperatures pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts.”

The county said it did have money in its budget this year to open cooling centers if the need arises this summer.

In Washington County, community members can cool off in 17 cooling centers, including the local libraries, Boys and Girls Aid Safe Place for Youth in Hillsboro and the Hillsboro Community Senior Center.

Hisham noted that the county’s two access centers at Just Compassion in Tigard and Project Homeless Connect in Hillsboro, which are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, can also provide respite from the heat.

Multnomah County

Multnomah County also pointed people to local libraries or pools, while the Homeless Services Department plans to give out water, misting bottles, cooling towels and sunscreen to people experiencing homelessness. As of Tuesday morning, Multnomah County did not plan to open overnight cooling shelters.

Though Trimet has previously offered free rides to area cooling centers during past heat waves, Public Information Officer Mark Miller said the agency follows the lead of Multnomah County. With Multnomah County not opening cooling centers at this time, Miller said Trimet was not planning to implement the free fare policy.

East county residents can seek relief from the heat at the Troutdale, Fairview Columbia and Gresham libraries.

Clackamas County

Clackamas County announced it may open overnight cooling centers if necessary based on the needs of vulnerable populations, including unhoused people. Clackamas County Community Relations Specialist Dylan Baylock said the county Department of Health, Housing and Human Services was working with community organizations to check on homeless residents and offer them supplies like water, hydration powders and sunscreen.

According to Mary Rumbaugh, the department’s director, the county and its partners will also shelter qualifying vulnerable individuals in hotels during the heat event.

Baylock noted the county’s emergency operations planning group and disaster management program coordinate “how, when and to what level we coordinate and activate responses related to heat and air quality.”

Rumbaugh said preparation and coordination between her department, the disaster management office and partners like Sandy’s Ant Farm have positioned them for a smooth roll out of services.

“Clackamas County Disaster Management and (the human services department) are actively monitoring the forecasted heat with a particular eye toward our county and its rural areas given that it can be hotter east of Portland,” Rumbaugh said. “We’re also keeping a close eye on overnight lows.”

In Clackamas County, residents can find relief from the heat in 20 locations, including more than a dozen libraries, Ant Farm Cafe in Sandy, Denny’s in Canby, Father’s Heart Ministry in Oregon City, Robinwood Station in West Linn, the Gladstone Community Center, Wilsonville Community Center and Lake Oswego Adult Community Center.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/15/portland-washington-multnomah-clackamas-county-heat-wave-cooling-spaces/