This event features two days of record warmth in Portland. One on the 8th and the 9th of January, 2008. January 8th brought 61° and a new record. The 9th brought 54° and tied the old record set in 1978. The warm air arrived on southwest winds, thanks to a large area of high pressure. The location and strength of the high was more like a summer time Bermuda High, but its longevity was not long enough to be considered such. The southwest winds persisted for several days and many records were set all over the eastern USA. Thunderstorms plagued the Midwest during this time, at the intersection of the warm and cold air masses.