Northwest heat wave: Worst is over, but it's still plenty hot

The heat has made life difficult for people such as Food Front Cooperative Grocery manager Jeff Hough, who told CNN affiliate KPTV that the Portland store's coolers had been shutting down and it was difficult even to keep the doors closed.

"The front door, the rubber expanded, so it's not shutting. It got so hot the door won't shut," he told the station.

Seattle also broke a daily record. The city reached 94 degrees Thursday, breaking the previous high of 90 from August 3, 1988.

Some 9 million people in the Pacific Northwest remain under heat warnings and advisories.

Smoke from wildfires has spread a haze over the region, making air quality dangerous for people with asthma or breathing problems. Oregon issued an air pollution advisory effective through Tuesday because of the heat and smoke from the fires.

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The heat has settled in over a region where many homes don't have air conditioning. Only one-third of Seattle residents have it, while Portland's number is about 70%. Portions of Oregon are a good bit lower.