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Mother Nature won't stop taunting Oregonians.
In a week when officials are urging people to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19, weather forecasters say the entire Willamette Valley is looking at a week of sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s—above average for April.
"We are expecting temperatures to be within a few degrees of 70 for at least the next week," says Shawn Weagle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Portland office.
Many spots were around 10 to 15 degrees above average yesterday! Normal highs for this time of year are around 60 for the lowlands. It looks like above average temperatures are favored to continue through mid April, along with drier than normal conditions. pic.twitter.com/YnY2gJE7Co
— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) April 10, 2020
For much of this week, Oregon officials from Gov. Kate Brown on down have been alternately scolding and cajoling residents to stick with a strict homebound regimen, as the state hopes to extend its early success at lowering COVID-19 fatalities. (So far, at least 48 people have died from the virus, and just over 400 are currently hospitalized.)
Related: Governor to Portlanders: Get Back Inside.
Most of the message has centered on staying away from the limited green spaces that remain open. State parks and campgrounds are closed. So is the whole Columbia River Gorge. Portland parks officials have closed playgrounds and basketball courts, and have stationed "greeters" outside parks in an effort to keep people at a safe distance from each other.
Yet anecdotal observations and reports show Portland parks are packed, with 6-foot distances being treated more as a suggestion than an order.
Related: Portland's Parks Are Teeming With People. Are They Still Safe to Visit?
In that context, the good forecast is bad news.
"[Regardless] of the current situation, people would have spring fever, especially after the cooler weather we saw the last two weeks," Weagle says.
The limits on outdoor activity expose another inequity of the COVID-19 shutdown: People with private property have greater personal access to nature than the typical apartment renter.
Meanwhile, state officials still suggest Oregonians go for neighborhood walks. The National Weather Service agrees.
"People need to go outside and enjoy the sun," Weagle says. "We definitely recommend that people do it from their backyard."