NOWCAST:
Mostly cloudy, warm and muggy this morning with isolated showers and thunderstorms developing.

BETTER RAIN CHANCES:
We’ll have to contend with more hot, humid conditions today but our chances for more beneficial rain will rise as a storm system slowly drops southward from the Great Lakes. Showers and storms could become quite numerous this afternoon and evening. The strongest storms will be capable of producing torrential downpours, frequent lightning, gusty winds, and hail. A SLIGHT RISK for severe weather is in place for this afternoon through Friday. Expect highs to reach the mid 90s with heat indices in the lower 100s before any clouds and rain cool us down. Rainfall could be heavy at times late tonight and through the day Friday.

A SLIGHT COOL DOWN, THEN HOT AGAIN:
Behind the cold front moving through Friday night we’ll see slightly cooler, less humid air filter into the region for the start of the weekend. Temperatures will be more seasonable for Saturday before the heat starts rebuilding Sunday. The weekend looks mainly dry with only a small chance for isolated thundershowers both days, primarily over southern and eastern sections. Then it’s back to more hot and muggy weather early next week, with daily chances for widely scattered storms. Highs climb back to the mid 90s by Tuesday.

TODAY:
Partly Sunny, Thunderstorms Likely…High 95, winds SW-8
Precip Ch. 60% – Rain Amount .25-.50″

TONIGHT:
Showers and Thunderstorms Likely…Low 75, winds SW-8
Precip Ch. 60% – Rain Amount .25-.50″

FRIDAY:
Showers and Thunderstorms Likely…High 90, winds SW-11
Precip Ch. 60% – Rain Amount .25-.50″

I used to love the sun and hot weather. I never liked the humidity but could tolerate it. I have twin cousins that are my age and we used to lay out in the sun all summer long! Of course, we were in our twenties and I didn’t have medical problems then. Now I take medication that makes me photosensitive so I stay out of the sun lest my fair skin burns to a crisp. Since my hysterectomy last year though, I’m very sensitive to temperature changes and frequently experience my own short, private vacations in the tropics. I have a fan on my desk at work blowing directly on me while the woman in the cubical next to me wears two sweaters (we have a wall between us). I keep my house at 70 degrees all summer (my comfort – and a less bitchy me – offsets the cost). My outdoor time is limited as much as possible during this stretch of oppressive heat and humidity we’ve been experiencing. I’ve really missed eating dinner on the patio with my husband this year because I just can’t enjoy it right now!

A couple of times this summer, I’ve experienced the symptoms I did this morning. Each time I’ve gone back to bed in my cold bedroom to sleep for about 12-14 hours. Yes…12 to 14 hours at one stretch. By then the nausea and headache are gone and I finally feel rested. When anyone asks me what’s wrong all I can say is I think the heat is just really wiping me out. Well, I did some online research today and it sounds like I might have experienced “heat exhaustion” and, if so, I will have to be more careful so it doesn’t turn into heat stroke.

Heat exhaustion is one of three heat related illnesses that can affect anyone, young or old, male or female. Some people however, like me, are more susceptible and untreated it can lead to heat stroke. Heat stroke can fatal so what are the risk factors? According to the Mayo Clinic it means you are at higher risk if:

• …you take blood pressure meds, heart meds (beta blockers or diuretics), antihistamines, tranquilizers, or anti-psychotics. (The websites mention that the use of certain illegal drugs will also put you at risk but, I figure, if you’re dumb enough to use illegal drugs, heat exhaustion is the least of your worries.)
• …you are overweight.
• …you are not used to the heat and experience sudden temperature changes.
• …the heat index is 91 F or higher.

How do you know if you’re experiencing heat exhaustion? Ask yourself:

• Is my skin cool and moist? Do I have goosebumps even though I’m in the heat?
• Am I sweating heavily?
• Do I feel faint or dizzy?
• Am I feeling fatigued?
• Do I have a weak, rapid pulse?
• Do I have low blood pressure upon standing?
• Am I having muscle cramps?
• Am I feeling nauseated or have a headache?

Symptoms can come on suddenly or slowly. If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms you should immediately move to a cool place (preferably an air conditioned building), drink plenty of cool liquids, apply cool water to your skin (or take a cool shower if you can) and remove any unnecessary clothing or at least loosen it from your body to allow your skin to breathe. If your symptoms don’t resolve in an hour, seek medical attention.

In my case, I was in all four risk factor groups: I take medications on the list (and not the illegal kind), I’m overweight, I’m sensitive to temperature changes (as I’ve already said), and the heat index has been in the 100 – 115 F range. As for symptoms, my skin was definitely moist as I was dripping in sweat. I’ve been falling asleep on the train and have been exhausted, and this morning I woke up nauseated and with a headache. I didn’t notice the other symptoms but then, I wasn’t looking for them either.

When I left the office for the day yesterday, the temperature was 100 F with a heat index of around 110 F. I walked three blocks outside just to get to the train station. The train platform is underground in a tunnel and the train was 15 minutes late so, I stood there literally dripping, waiting with the other commuters. When the train finally arrived, I noticed it was one of the new trains that has bigger windows (the better to let the hot sun in) and a crappier air-conditioning system than the older trains. I picked a seat that I hoped would get a little of what cool air there was but was still extremely warm going home, falling asleep within 10 minutes of leaving the station. Of course, it’s always “cooler at the lake” in Chicago (where I work) so, at home the temperature was slightly hotter. Even though I stayed in the remainder of the night, I woke up this morning feeling crappy.

Today I realized that, besides my coffee in the morning, I didn’t have anything else to drink at work yesterday. I was probably a bit dehydrated before going outside. So, I myself, contributed to my risks. Since I still had symptoms today, could they have been coming on slowly over the last few days culminating in how I felt this morning? Now that I’ve stayed indoors all day (in my comfy 70 F air-conditioned house), drank plenty of cool liquids, and gotten plenty of rest I feel fine. You can bet that tomorrow when I go to work I’m going to stay hydrated to reduce my risk!

Have you ever felt like this or been diagnosed with heat exhaustion? Tell me you experience. Comment below.

Here is a Heat Index chart for your reference:

IMAGE: National Weather Service

And if you’re interested in seeing how we calculate the Heat Index based on air temperature and the dew point temperature, here is that chart:

In addition to the dangerous heat index this afternoon, there is also a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for nearly all of central Virginia, including everywhere along the I-95 corridor. It will be hazy again today, with mostly sunny skies and the UV Index popping back into the Very High category.

For information about cooling shelters in your area, dial 211.

[ooyala code="gycHNlNTpeSyy0o2DfOlj1zE6-9tm9ms"]

The City of Richmond posted the following information on their website:

Meteorologist Carrie Rose
“Like” Carrie on Facebook
Follow Carrie on Twitter

NOWCAST:
Partly cloudy and quite muggy this morning. A few isolated showers may pop up as the morning continues.

CLICK HERE to listen to Chris’ Tuesday Morning Weather Podcast

A STEAM BATH FOR MIDWEEK:
More heat, more humidity, and more unsettled weather will be the story for the next few days. Expect today to be similar to Monday with early day sunshine lending itself to clouds and scattered thunderstorms forming as things heat up. Highs should once again reach the mid 90s with heat indices in the low 100s. We’ll be just as hot and steamy Wednesday with a slightly better chance for more scattered thunderstorms.

BETTER SHOT AT RAIN LATE WEEK:
A cold front slides in from the north on Thursday, bringing with it a good chance for more numerous showers and thunderstorms that continues into Friday. This front should take some of the edge off the heat, with highs dropping back a few degrees late week. Humidities also fall off a tad by late Friday into Saturday. This should allow for a mainly dry weekend with just a small chance for an isolated thundershower on Sunday. Highs climb into the lower 90s early next week.

TODAY:
Partly Sunny, Scattered Thunderstorms…High 95, winds SW-6
Precip Ch. 30% – Rain Amount .25″

TONIGHT:
Early Evening Showers, then Partly Cloudy…Low 73, winds SW-4
Precip Ch. 20% – Rain Amount .10″

WEDNESDAY:
Partly Sunny, Scattered Thunderstorms…High 96, winds SW-8
Precip Ch. 40% – Rain Amount .25″

CHICAGO (CBS)–Chicago was bracing for another 100-degree day, prompting emergency officials to ask residents to take precautions.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Tuesday that will last from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Temperatures are expected to be as high as 100 to 102 degrees, with heat indices between 105 to 110 degrees.

“During these high temperatures, we continue to urge Chicagoans to check on their neighbors, families, elderly and the disabled,” said Gary W. Schenkel, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. “Residents and visitors should take the necessary precautions and plan accordingly.”

Chicagoans can call 3-1-1 for the nearest city cooling center, request well-being checks, and request rides to cooling centers, if needed.  Cooling centers are located within the six community service centers operated by the Department of Family and Support Services.  Chicago Public Libraries, park facilities and police stations also serve as cooling centers.

Rumbles of thunder are expected Tuesday evening, and showers and thunderstorms are expected to sweep through overnight into Wednesday.

The high Wednesday drops to 88 – which will likely feel more like 58. The high for Thursday is a comfortable 85, Friday 87, Saturday 88 and Sunday 89.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST RADAR

The Chicago Department of Public Health continues to encourage all residents to take extra precautions to avoid heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Officials advise:

• Avoid going out into the heat, especially in the hours around mid-day;
• If you do go outside, wear loose, lightly-colored clothing and wear a hat with a brim;
• Drink plenty of water– at least eight glasses a day;
• Get into an air-conditioned space or a cooler part of the house, like a basement;
• Keep shades drawn and blinds closed to block the sun;
• Take cool baths or showers; use cool towels and washcloths to cool the skin;
• Slow down, avoid or minimize physical exertion; and
•  Don’t leave any person or pet in a parked car, even for a few minutes.

Strangely I still relate cold temperatures in Celsius but hotter temperatures in Fahrenheit. I find myself switching back and forth around 30C/85F (that’s about as hot as it got back home in New Brunswick so I can’t seem to process or relate what a Centigrade temperature over that feels like.)

The calculation used in Canada is Humidex = Temperature + (0.5555 x (vapor pressure – 10)) *vapor pressure in millibars (mb) Or you can use this calculator.

Click through for calculator

NOWCAST:
Mainly clear and muggy this morning with a few patchy clouds and fog.

JUST LIKE JULY
We’re right in the midst of the “Dog Days of Summer” and the next several days will represent it well with hot, humid conditions! Expect highs to climb into the mid 90s each day through Wednesday with heat indices as high as the triple digits during the afternoon hours. We’ll have small chances for widely scattered thunderstorms (mainly in the afternoon and early evening) today and Tuesday. Locally heavy rainfall is possible where storms pop up. Slightly better rain chances come into play late Wednesday into Thursday as a cold front approaches from the north.

CHANGES FOR LATE WEEK:
We’ll see the heat and humidity back off a tad late in the period with the passage of a cold front Thursday into early Friday. We’ll have a couple of more chances at rain those days before we dry out over the weekend. Afternoon highs will be seasonably warm in the upper 80s to lower 90s with overnight lows cooling off a bit into the upper 60s.

TODAY:
Partly Sunny, Chance of Thunderstorms…High 94, winds SW-5
Precip Ch. 30% – Rain Amount .10″

TONIGHT:
Partly Cloudy, Isolated Showers…Low 73, winds SW-5
Precip Ch. 20% – Rain Amount .10″

TUESDAY:
Partly Sunny, Chance of Thunderstorms…High 94, winds SW-6
Precip Ch. 30% – Rain Amount .10″

Heat acclimatization is one way to improve ones ability to run well in a hot environment and in extreme cases is necessary for survival. Heat acclimation is merely when an individual has been conditioned to maintain a higher blood plasma and volume level, increased sweat rate, a decreased salt amount in the sweat produced, decreased fatigue rate of sweat glands, and quicker onset of sweating when placed in the heat. These changes are all needed to meet the demands on the body mentioned above. Heat acclimation is produced via repeated exposure to heat sufficient to raise body core temperature. This is most effectively done by exercise (skeletal muscle contractions) vs. sitting in a hot room. Only a few sessions of one hour of moderate exercise in the heat will produce an effect in un-acclimated individuals with changes being seen in a few days.

Some interesting highlights to acclimatization:

• One can become acclimatized to heat and cold at the same time. Even with training bouts being on the same day in the different environments.
• Most of the improvements in heart rate, core and skin temp, and sweat rate are acquired in just ONE week of heat exposure. Heart rate adaptations are seen in just 4-5 days! However increases in sweating and a feeling of “ease of walking” in a hot environment can take up to one month to occur.
• More is gained from a 100 minute bout of heat exposure exercise than one 50 minute bout, but adding bouts beyond 100 minutes of exposure did not quicken adaptation.
• Heat exposure adaptations have been studied to disappear as quickly as one week if the subject is not re-placed in the heat, but may last as long as 3 weeks in some individuals.

All facts taken from “Human performance physiology and environmental medicine at terrestrial extremes” Pandolf, Sawka, Gonzalez. ISBN: 1-884125-02-6

Know what you’re up against

Of all the adversities that runners and marathoners face, heat is the number one offender. This is because it can bring on two conditions that can negatively affect your performance… Overheating and Dehydration.

Overheating is the result of inadequate cooling; when the body cannot keep up with the demands of evaporation of water from your skin. When the body heats up internally, it starts to sweat and sends more blood to the skin where it is cooled by coming into contact with the relatively cooler skin. However, while running, your body’s demand for oxygen to the muscles means less blood will flow to the skin and this is when overheating occurs. And thus begins the tug-of-war within your body, especially if you want to keep up a certain pace. Either the blood (and oxygen) goes to your muscles to keep up with the pace demands and you start to overheat because less blood is going to the skin for cooling – OR – the blood goes to the skin for cooling, but less blood goes to your working muscles meaning you’ll be forced slow down.

Dehydration is the process of losing fluid from the body, in this case through sweat. As you sweat you lose water and electrolytes. That’s why drinking a sports drink containing electrolytes, as well as water, is so important. Because running in the heat exacerbates both overheating and dehydration, it is important to take precautions when running in the heat.

PRECAUTIONS FOR RUNNING IN THE HEAT
1) It takes approximately two weeks of consistent running in the heat and humidity to acclimate to warmer conditions.

2) Remember that thirst is not an indicator of dehydration. Once you are thirsty, you are already low on fluids. Indications of dehydration are an elevated heart rate during and after your run and dark, golden-colored urine. After your run, keep drinking fluids until your urine is clear.

3) During your run, drink about 4 to 8 ounces of water and/or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.

4) Weigh yourself before and after your run. Drink 16 ounces of fluid for every pound of weight lost. *Important note here… do not use this as a method of weight loss!

5) Apply a sunscreen of at least SPF #15. Make sure that it is a non-drip formula that won’t drip into your eyes.

6) Wear sunglasses that filter UVA and UVB rays and/or wear a cap with a visor.

7) Wear light-colored micro-fiber clothing.

8) Run when your shadow is taller than you are, and when the sun is not high in the sky. If you run in the morning, you’ll avoid the heat, but may encounter a higher humidity. The air quality is also better in the morning, since ozone levels increase soon after dawn, peak at midday, and then again in the early evening. Times to avoid running are noon till 3pm.

9) Eat salty foods and drinks such as pretzels and tomato juice.

10) Check the Heat Index Chart for apparent temperature. This is the number that calculates the air temperature with the relative humidity to determine what the temperature feels like and if there is a risk of a heat-related illness.

HEAT INDEX CHART

SIGNS OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
1) HEAT CRAMPS
Causes: Loss of electrolytes and accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles.
Conditions: Muscle cramps and/or spasms, heavy sweating, normal body temperature.
Treatment: Drink water and sports drink, slow down, massage affected area.

2) HEAT EXHAUSTION
Causes: Intense exercise in a hot, humid condition and loss of electrolytes.
Conditions: Profuse sweating, possible drop in blood pressure (less than 90 systolic, the top number), normal or slightly elevated body temperature, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, decreased coordination, possible fainting.
Treatment: Rest in a cool place, drink water and sports drink, if BP drops below 90 systolic, call EMS, avoid activity for at least 24 hours, refrain from running or exercising in the heat for at least one week.

3) HEAT STROKE
This is a medical emergency!
Causes: Intense exercise in a hot, humid condition, older age, dehydration, obesity, wearing heavy clothing, running in the heat when you have an infection or fever, certain drugs such as amphetamines, diuretics, beta blockers, cardiovascular disease, poor acclimatization, high blood pressure.
Conditions: High body temperature (106 or higher), lack of sweating characterized by dry, red skin, altered consciousness.
Treatment: Call EMS! Rest in a cool place, remove clothing to expose skin to air, apply ice packs or cool water to groin, underarms, neck (stop if shivering).

Final verdict

Be sure to undertake the desired heat adaptations gradually, through easy sessions. Don’t rush or overdo the acclimation process. Heat injuries can have severe consequences. Never attempt to “tough it out”.

Overheating can be dangerous (which is why heat acclimation exists, of course). If you begin to feel ill during any of the acclimation sessions, slow down or stop. It can also help to have water/sports drink with you during your run.

The moral of the story is don’t shun running in the heat, you are actually benefiting from it. Embrace it, enjoy it, and don’t be stupid.

Sources:

http://www.marathonguide.com/training/coachmindy/heat.cfm

http://shodless.com/running-in-the-heat/summer/

Trail of the Cedars, Glacier National Park

By now nearly everyone across the country has been to a stage of sweltering in the heat. It doesn’t matter where you live, except maybe in Western Washington, you’ve worked at staying cool.

When I talk about working in the heat, I’m not talking necessarily about laboring outside in it. Those who seldom leave the house, except for errands, are also at risk from heat. It depends on how cool the building is and how much air flow there is.

The heat affects all of us in similar ways. We get cranky when we get too hot. Tempers shorten as temperatures rise.

Attention wanders. Staying focused is possible but much more tiring at 95° than when at 70°. Dehydration begins to make its move and assaults the body, which has specific requirements. Thirst drives a person to intake more fluids, which results in more trips to the bathroom, which also pulls the attention away from your keyboard.

Sleep doesn’t come easily in the heat. There is no such thing as a comfortable position on the bed, couch, floor, hammock, or whatever reclined surface you can find. Sleeping on the porch isn’t an option either. It’s rarely much cooler out there than inside the house and other considerations remain; mosquitos, the odd stray dog, or worse, cat on the prowl.

Solutions? Oh, there are a few, but not many aside from air conditioning.

Let’s face it. We’ve become a society of wimps. Our pioneer ancestors—yes, even those in the 1940’s—didn’t need air conditioning. They worked, cooked, played outside with the kids, went to ballgames, etc. and all of it in the heat.

Here we are, subject to heat, many without blessed air conditioning. Take a crack at what the oldsters did. Put a big bowl of ice in front of the fan and let simple evaporation help cool you off.

Rearrange your work schedule, if you can, to move the most active part of your day to the cooler pre-dawn and early morning hours. Shift your priorities to help yourself. Decide how many cold meals you can prepare at one time. Cold soups, meats, fruits, etc. can help you think you’re cooler, even if you aren’t.

For those who snicker because they have air conditioning, remember this. You still have to go outside in it to get from point A to point B. That’s at least one chance to get your hand burned on a door handle, to burn the backs of your legs when derriere meets car seat or bench, to inhale vaporous flame upon ordering that snow cone from the corner vendor, who’s stood out in that heat to provide you with cold, soon-to-be-liquid refreshment.

But above all, realize that you’re not alone. Heat drains your energy. Even when you’re working at home or at the office, if you don’t have air conditioning, take it easy on yourself. A cool washcloth on the back of the neck does help. Keeping your feet cool drains more heat from the body than you might think, and make sure that keep sweating.

If your body is hot and you’re not sweating, you need medical attention. You’re headed into heat exhaustion or heat stroke. If you’ve been there before, you’re more susceptible to it now. Stay safe everyone.

Related articles

• Staying Cool During Deadly Heat (aarp.org)
• Pa. Department of Health: Hot Weather Poses Serious Health Risks (prnewswire.com)
• Beat the Heat: Amica Insurance Offers Seven Tips to Stay Safe and Cool as Heat Wave Continues (prweb.com)
• What are Your Favorite Creative Cooling Solutions? (elocal.com)
• The Dangers of Overheating in Older Adults (everydayhealth.com)

1. Drink Lots of WATER!  Load up on good ole H2O and sports drinks.  Steer clear of alcohol and caffeine.  Experts say in hot weather you should drink as much as 3-4 quarts of water per day.

2. Dress in light-colored, loose clothing to reflect the heat and sunlight.

3. Slow down.  The National Weather Service says you should reduce, eliminate, or reschedule any strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day.  Keep in mind that children, seniors and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place.

4. Eat light.  Heavy foods and higher protein meals increase metabolic heat production and increase water loss.

5. Stay in the Air Conditioning if possible.

6. Wear sunscreen if you are going to be outside, but try to limit the amount of sun you get.

7. Never leave children or pets in a car, even if the windows are open.

8. Check on your elderly neighbors.

9. Keep your pets, and their paws, in mind.  A walk on a hot street or sidewalk can burn their feet. They’ll also need more water, and should be kept inside if possible in extreme heat.

10. Jump in some water.  Visit us at the Crowne Plaza Louisville to check out our pool, or find a nearby lake to jump in.  Just make sure you’re following all the guidelines for a safe and happy visit!

Read more about surviving the extreme heat with the National Weather Service.

Beach people are total wimps when it comes to the heat.  Anything over 85 degrees is like an oven to us, but we’ve had some really hot weather lately.  Our club runs a “camp” that the kids attend for two hours for four days to help them get back into the swing of things after being on break.  The field they use seems to have its own weather system and it’s been scorching there the last few days.  (You can see the ocean in the background, but it sure doesn’t feel like you’re at the beach!) Even though the camp is in the late afternoon, temperatures have been in the 90s.  I know that this is nothing compared to people who live inland in California or in most other places across the country, but hey, we’re spoiled!

Watching the kids play in the heat made me wonder about the dangers of playing when its so hot.  My trusty water bottles weren’t doing the job (each kid had to have three bottles!) and I made sure that the kids hydrated before going out to the field, but I wanted to know more information about playing in the heat.  Here’s what I found…

Heat Related Illnesses (heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke) can be very dangerous (or even fatal) for our children.  Yikes!

Symptoms of Impending Heat Illness (From this article by Susan Yeargin PhD)

• Weakness
• Chills
• Goose pimples on chest and upper arms
• Nausea
• Headache
• Faintness
• Disorientation
• Muscle Cramping
• Reduced sweating

Any of these symptoms can lead to heat related illness.  Here’s some strategies to help:

• Move the child to a cool place
• Have child drink a sports drink to replace electrolytes
• Place ice behind child’s head
• Eat food with added salt (not salt tablets)
• Call for medical attention if there is no improvement

Here’s an interesting article about sports drinks from Mom’s Team.  As with nutrition, as parents of competitive athletes we need to remember that our children have different needs than the child playing in the backyard.  Just drinking water may not be enough.

I also found an iPhone app called iHydrate that calculates the heat index at your location and provides the heat illness risk.

Hydrate your kids and keep them safe out there!!  When my kids play games in the heat, I bring frozen small towels in my cooler to wrap around their necks during any break.

Any other tips you have for beating the heat?

If you haven’t noticed, this summer has been extremely hot. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle we forget about our animal friends health and comfort. Or we just might not know.

I recently saw this photo posted on facebook:

This is a dog whose paws got burnt from walking on hot concrete.

In the summmer don’t walk your dogs on concrete, walk them in the evenings and mornings, and look into foot protection. Socks can make the difference between a happy puppy and a dog that can’t walk without pain.

It reminded me of a rather sad story about another animal who suffered from the heat.

A friend of mine is a vet tech, a while back, around closing time, a woman brought in a budgie.

If you aren’t familiar with what the heck a budgie is, it is a small parakeet from austrailia. They are usually referred to as parakeets, one of the most popular pet birds in the world, available at darn near every petstore on this planet.

Here is a picture:

Anyways. This budgie was having seizures. The vet asked what happened.

The woman decieded that the bird needed some fresh air,  So she took the bird, put it in a cardboard box, didn’t even poke airholes in it, set the box in the sun and left it outside all day.

As you probably know by now, I prefer SPRING!! Even Fall is ok…I don’t like HOT or COLD weather…especially when you walk outside and the air is still and just seems to suck your breath away leaving you panting like a puppy…lol…and your skin feels all sticky and sweaty…ick!!  lol…and your energy is sapped before you can take the first step…

Speaking of panting like puppies…I get so frustrated with people when I am walking at the park and they have their pets with them.  It’s great that their pets like to walk or run with them but they do need water and can you imagine how their paws feel on the hot asphalt?? Uh…I say let’s have the owners walk around on the hot asphalt without socks or shoes and let’s see how they like it!!

Wherever you are, stay cool and drink lots of water!!! And make sure your pets have lots of fresh water too!!

It’s been hot in the United States for June/July 2012, breaking many daily and all-time heat records across the country. In the nations capital, temperatures above 95F have been seen for the first 10 days of July, also a record. During such heat waves there is always talk of the Heat Index. Most people have a general notion that this means it feels hotter than the actual temperature, but what does this actually mean? Since the human body gets it’s energy by burning calories, it needs a way to get rid of the excess heat generated. It can efficiently achieve this by simple radiation up to about 70 or 80F. Above this temperature range the body doesn’t have enough surface area to radiate the excess heat fast enough. This is when you begin to sweat and the process of evaporative cooling takes place. When the air is dry this works quite well, but when the air gets humid the evaporation can not take place because the air is already saturated with water. In this case the body can neither rely on radiative cooling or evaporative cooling and you begin to overheat. This can become a dangerous situation resulting in Heat Illness, and is the physical basis for concept of the heat index. Daniel Engber of slate.com gives a nice description of how the heat index works.

This makes a certain amount of sense, but where did the index come from and how is it determined? A decently accurate short history and discussion can be found in an online article by the Capitol Weather Gang. Basically, a New York banker came up with the idea back in 1937. I was able to trace this back to a Time Magazine 1938 article called “THE WEATHER:Humiture Wave”. An excerpt from this article is as follows:

“The weather served to publicize a new word: humiture. The invention of a 38-year-old official of Manhattan’s National City Bank, Osborne Fort Hevener, it was first used by his friend Frank L. Baldwin in the weather column of the Newark Evening News. Humiture is a combination of temperature and humidity, computed by adding the readings for both and dividing by two. Weathermen called it a “fool word” but according to Mr. Hevener (who last week escaped the humiture by motoring to Quebec) this figure “gives the man in the street a better index of the summertime torture to which he is being subjected.” Peak Manhattan humiture: (with temperature 76 and humidity 98% of saturation) 87.“

Subsequent stories appeared in New Yorker 1954 and New Yorker 1959 Magazines. Hevener published his story in an article called “All about Humiture” in Weatherwise 1959. Granted, Hevener’s concept was simplistic, but provided some relative measure of the modern concept of a Heat Index. It wasn’t until the late 1970′s that a  TV meteorologist in Jacksonsville, Fla., George Winterling, came up with a revised and adapted version of  humiture, which he apparently published in the an article called “Humiture-revised and adapted for the summer season in Jacksonville, Fla.”  (Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, vol. 60, pp. 329-300, 1979) and began using it in his on-air weather reports. I have not been unable to find this article, but still looking for it. It is reported that the work was based on Robert G. Steadman’s seminal studies, humorously titled “The Assessment of Sultriness”:

Part I (Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 18, Issue 7,pp. 861-873, 1979)
Part II (Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 18, Issue 7, pp.874-885, 1979)

From these articles there are no less than 20 parameters and assumptions that go into a model that determines the heat index. They are listed here for your viewing pleasure:

a.) Dimensions of a human: Determines the skin’s surface area. (5′ 7″ tall, 147 pounds)
b.) Effective radiation area of skin: A ratio that depends upon skin surface area. (0.80)
c.) Significant diameter of a human: Based on the body’s volume and density. (15.3 cm)
d.) Clothing cover: Long trousers and short-sleeved shirt is assumed. (84% coverage)
e.) Core temperature: Internal body temperature. (98.6°F)
f.) Core vapor pressure: Depends upon body’s core temperature and salinity. (5.65 kPa)
g.) Surface temperatures and vapor pressures of skin and clothing: Affects heat transfer from the skin’s surface either by radiation or convection, determined iteratively.
h.) Activity: Determines metabolic output. (180 W m-2 of skin area for the model person walking outdoors at a speed of 3.1 mph)
i.) Effective wind speed: Vector sum of the body’s movement and an average wind speed. Angle between vectors influences convection from skin surface (below). (5 knots)
j.) Ventilation rate: The amount of heat lost via exhaling. (2-12%, depending upon humidity)
k.) Skin resistance to heat transfer: A function of activity, skin temperature, among others.
l.) Skin resistance to moisture transfer: A function of the vapor-pressure difference across the skin (and, therefore, relative humidity). It decreases with increasing activity.
m.) Clothing resistance to heat transfer: The magnitude of this value is based on the assumption that the clothing is 20% fiber and 80% air.
n.) Clothing resistance to moisture transfer: Since clothing is mostly air,pure vapor diffusion is used here.
o.) Radiation from the surface of the skin: Actually, a radiative heat-transfer coefficient determined from previous studies.
p.) Convection from the surface of the skin: A convection coefficient also determined from previous studies. Influenced by kinematic viscosity of air and angle of wind.
q.) Surface resistance to heat transfer: As radiation and convection from the skin increases,this value decreases.
r.) Surface resistance to moisture transfer: Similar to heat transfer resistance but also depends upon conditions in the boundary layer just above skin’s surface.
s.) Sweating rate: Assumes that sweat is uniform and not dripping from the body.
t.) Other assumptions: Ambient vapor pressure of the atmosphere. (1.6 kPa), steady-state equilibrium conditions, wind gustiness neglected, all evaporation occurs at skins surface.

All this was taken together in a model of the human body to produce some tables, from which a multivariate fit can be made to produce an approximate equation for the Heat Index in terms of conventional independent variables, namely the ambient temperature in Fahrenheit (T) and the relative humidity in percent (R), which is accurate to plus or minus ~1 degree.

This is, in fact, approximately what The National Weather Service uses to predict the Heat Index. So, now you know the whole story of where is comes from and how it is determined. It should be mentioned that this applies to shade conditions and in the sun it can feel like ~15 degrees higher still. Of course it helps if you are 5’7, weigh 147 lbs, walking in a light breeze of several miles per hour, wearing long pants and a short-sleeved shirt. In addition, it is assumed that the following have been calculated correctly: vapor pressure, dimensions of a human, effective radiation area of skin, significant diameter of a human, clothing cover, core temperature, core vapor pressure, surface temperatures and vapor pressure of skin and clothing, activity, effective wind speed, clothing resistance to heat transfer, clothing resistance to moisture transfer, radiation from the surface of the skin, convection from the surface of the skin, sweating rate, ventilation rate, skin resistance to heat transfer, skin resistance to moisture transfer and surface resistance to moisture transfer.

That seems like a pretty tall order to take all that and derive something meaningful from it, so it begs the question: Is it really all that accurate or useful? Well, temperature is a relative thing after all, so perhaps it is not the actual numbers that matter, but the danger that such numbers could potentially pose for human health. I think that is the lesson and usefulness one can take from a weather report when a Heat Index is given. It advises a person to use caution, which is always a good thing for safety. Like any scientific model there are always variation in parameters, and not every human being is the same, but this determination of how hot it feels on a given day above 80F with less than 100% humidity for an average person is only as accurate as the input values. It’s just the limitations of science nature of the universe sometimes.

Note: Canadians don’t use Heat Index, but something called Humidex. It’s a similar way to determining how hot it feels, but is  derived from the dew point rather than the relative humidity. I am not entirely sure what the difference is in interpretation, or if any scientific comparison has been made.

Here’s a Heat Index calculator
Here’s a Humidex calculator

Just goes to show that there are probably more ways than one to assess sultriness!

]]> http://nancymn.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/its-hot-but-not-as-bad-as-just-about-anywhere-else/ Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:29:17 +0000 nancymn http://nancymn.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/its-hot-but-not-as-bad-as-just-about-anywhere-else/

Fort Worth Heat Index (Photo credit: 19melissa68)

South Florida gets hot. And it gets humid. And at the moment, we are smack in the middle of some of the worst of both.

The sun feels like a disco ball with every mirror on fire. And if you stand outside awhile, you get soaked without a rain cloud in sight.

That said, my town is not having it as bad weather-wise as a lot of other places. My niece played in a softball tournament today. It was 109 degrees, with the heat index, in the Baltimore area. And there are still parts of West Virginia without electricity, courtesy of last week’s little calamity known as a derecho, a weather phenomenon that did damage from the Midwest to the District of Columbia. And my hometown of New York City greatly lacks a convenience we have and cannot imagine doing without: central air conditioning.

Each year, we have people known as “snowbirds,” folks who live here part of the year and elsewhere during the remainder, usually in a colder northern state or Canada. They drive slowly and erratically on our roads, crowd our restaurants and tell us how things are done “up north” when they get annoyed with how things are done here.

We like them because they add to the tax base and support the local economy. And personally, I enjoy the fact that their presence over the years has probably added much to the culinary mix of area restaurants.

But now, you have to wonder what they were thinking when they rolled their cars onto the carriers, packed their stuff, locked up their condos and took off. Because it’s hotter and more miserable where they are than where we are. They have to pack water every time they leave the house and even sitting in the shade hurts when the heat index hits 105 degrees or more. Oh, and there are more damaging thunderstorms headed their way, according to tonight’s national news.

All I can say is duck and cover, snowbirds. And we’ll probably see you soon(er).

It really should.

It’s just my opinion.

Don’t feel like you have to listen to my carefully selected little musical gift.

But you should.

It would be good for you.

I mean….come ON. It’s the Boss! (Bruce Springsteen)

Well, it’s  a toasty 99 degrees here today in the midwest. With a heat index of 106.

I’m completely into it. I love summer. I’m one of the few people who enjoys Las Vegas this time of year..with temperatures of 112 or higher.

My kids started to complain about the heat the other day. It was a perfect segue into one of my stories from when I was growing up. I tell these guys lots of memories, and they always love em…and want more. But the thing is…I can only remember things when I remember em.

We live in a perfectly climate controlled house. Our heating and cooling system just do their job of keeping the house at a perfectly even 70 degrees. We don’t even think about it.

When I was growing up, out on the farm…this was not the case. Our house stayed snuggly warm in the winter, and with our perfiniky yet dependable wood stove; sometimes too warm.

But in the summer…we had a window air conditioner. It was big, and had an attractive fake sandalwood finish; and it could make icicles form in your nostrils if you stood too close. However, it was expensive to run.

I’m guessing. Because we hardly ever turned it on. I can remember the air conditioner debates as if they happened yesterday.

“Whew! gonna be a hot one today”…says a Random family member.

“Yes, indeed.”….says Mom

“Hmmmm…maybe we should close the house up and turn on the AC….you think?”...says Random.

“Oh…let’s wait. I hate to close the house up.  We can get a good breeze out here in the country. Turn that fan on.”…says Mom.

“I don’t feel any breeze. It’s only going to get worse. Ruth down at the store has hers on”..says Random- sweating- even- from- their- eyeballs family member.

“No…now I heard it’s going to get down to 60 degrees overnight. We’ll be fine. Go have some ice water.”…says You Know Who.

But sometimes even Mom couldn’t deny…it was dangerously hot. Usually my sister coming in from layin in the sun to get the perfect tan, or mowing the yard soaked in gallons of sweat with a red heart attack kind of face would prompt her.

And then..it was like preparing for a hurricane. Batten down the hatches! I loved the process.

“Ok everyone. Shut all the windows. Shut all the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms. Sis..make sure that door going down to the basement is closed. And close the curtains!” Mom would order with a commanding tone. She meant business. If we were gonna run the damn thing…we were gonna do it right.

It was Operation Air Conditioner.

Our house had one big open area. Kitchen, dining room, living room. That was the space that stayed cool with the air conditioner on. If you went anywhere else in the house…like my bedroom for instance, you would open the door to a hot wave of air that smelled like a cross between dry grass and sun, and laundry detergent.

We would sit happily in the cool, dark farm house…with small satisfied grins on our faces; I loved the low humming sound it made. I’d walk by the cold air shooting out of the window and let it blow my hair every which way.  Until Mom would unceremoniously shut it off after a bit.

“Sun’s going down. I think the air outside is almost cooler than in here!”

It wasn’t.

But you didn’t argue with You Know Who.

I’ve come to take our comfortably cool home for granted. And I actually really miss the Air Conditioner Debates. It was the whole contrast of being so hot that you could wring your hair out from sweat, to being cool, like you were when you went to the drug store, or local diner.

It was a treat, and reserved only for the worst of times.

I told this whole story to my kids.

Random kid reaction: “Ya, right Mom.”

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN, PA — A has been issued by Montgomery County from noon until 8 p.m. Saturday, July 7.

“A Hot Weather Health Warning is issued in anticipation of an oppressively hot air mass with a heat index of 100 degrees F or greater,” according to a press release from the county.

“We urge all of our residents, especially those most at risk, to please take steps to minimize the effects of the heat, and it is critical that the rest of us check on the elderly and others at risk during this hot weather,” said Josh Shapiro, chairman of the Montgomery County Commissioners.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120706/NEWS01/120709669/-code-red-issued-for-montco

An excessive heat warning is in effect for much of the area Saturday for heat index values around or above 110°.  More of the same is on tap for Sunday as well.  With high heat and humidity like we’ll experience through Sunday, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are – even healthy people will be at risk for heat-related illnesses.

But we are just one part of the country dealing with this heat wave as the jet stream is riding high into Canada, with a huge heat dome over the central and eastern U.S. Here are the other parts of the U.S. battling excessive heat and humidity:

As with the past several days, a Code Orange Air Quality Alert is in effect for nearly all of central Virginia, including the Richmond and Petersburg metro areas.

If we hit 100° or hotter Saturday & Sunday, that will put our tally for 100-degree days this year to four. This may have you thinking about our Summer of 2010, when we hit 100° or hotter ten times!

CLICK HERE for heat safety tips!
CLICK HERE for information on keeping your pets safe in this heat wave (whether or not you have power!).
Here’s a list of all known cooling shelters in Virginia.
DOWNLOAD: Severe weather, breaking news apps.

Meteorologist Carrie Rose
“Like” Carrie on Facebook
Follow Carrie on Twitter