With temperatures expected to set a new heat record on Thursday, officials are warning Vermonters to take precautions to stay cool and find a public shelter with air conditioning if necessary.
Of the last several days, “today's going to be the warmest day across Vermont,” said Brooke Taber, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington. “We're looking at temperatures in the upper 80s to mid-90s.”
Temperatures are expected to break soon, turning to rain with some associated humidity on Friday, then dipping down to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend. But Taber said there’s a good chance the remainder of the summer will be hotter than Vermonters are used to.
“The data shows that we're seeing warmer summers, and lately we've seen even warmer extremes, like breaking many more daily record highs than we do daily record lows,” he said.
Officials with the Vermont Department of Health warn that prolonged exposure to heat can lead to illnesses such as heat stroke.
An analysis by the department found that, compared to a day in Vermont where the heat index is less than 80 degrees, Vermonters are five times as likely to go to the emergency department for heat-related illnesses when the heat index reaches the 80s, 10 times as likely to seek medical care when the heat index reaches the low 90s and 20 times as likely when the heat index reaches the upper 90s or hotter.
“During hot weather, your body’s temperature control systems can have a hard time keeping up,” Jared Ulmer, climate and health program manager with the Department of Health, said in a statement released by the department on Wednesday.
Consecutive hot days and warm nights “are particularly dangerous for people without access to air conditioning, especially if they live alone,” Ulmer said in the statement.
Vermont does not track the number of households with air conditioning, according to Ulmer, but he estimates that roughly half of people in the state do not have it in their homes.
For them, he suggested closing shades, turning off any appliances that could warm the house, such as ovens and lights, and trying to find the coolest place in the house to set up shop.
If that doesn’t work, Ulmer recommended that people check the department’s website for a list of cooling shelters, which include facilities such as public libraries.
He also recommended that Vermonters check on their neighbors — particularly those who live alone or have a disability that prevents them from accessing a comfortable space.
In general, Ulmer recommended that Vermonters ease into outdoor activities, drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade or cool indoor locations, especially during the first hot days of the season.
And while many residents of western Vermont might think to jump in Lake Champlain, waters are still chilly, according to department officials.
“Lake Champlain has yet to reach 60°F, and many other recreational waters are also at temperatures that can cause hypothermia. Limit your time in the water, and always have a life jacket when boating,” Ulmer said.
Some Vermonters may find it particularly difficult to cool off indoors. For around 800 people, the warm temperatures coincide with the end of the motel voucher program, which has been in place since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whether at a lake front or in a library, Ulmer said that it’s important for Vermonters to be welcoming to everyone who needs to use public spaces for cooling.
“I think something to emphasize, probably for our communities at large, is that it can be challenging to feel welcomed and at times, and invited in and given the safe space that people really need on some of these hot days,” he said. “I think that's one thing that we really need to keep in mind when the weather gets really hot, is to be patient, to be welcoming.”