Getting Answers: staying safe and cool in extreme heat

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - We went from storms on Thursday to heat on Friday. Friday saw some much-welcomed heat and sunshine in western Massachusetts after all the rain and flooding over the past couple weeks. Andy from West Springfield and his granddaughter, Olivia, took advantage of the sunshine and headed to Szot Park in Chicopee.

“We like warm weather and then we have plenty of water. We’ll do ice cream, we’re gonna cool down, and then she’ll probably take a little nap and then we go again,” Andy said.

He told Western Mass News that they like to take in the summertime weather while they can.

“It’s what 27, 28 of July. We should be happy. Look at the sky. It’s beautiful blue, sun, it’s warm. I love it,” Andy added. “Two months from now people are gonna complain it’s cold and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

However, it is important to enjoy that weather safely.

“If you’re going to be outside, things you’re gonna want to do are you wanna take frequent breaks, you want to find shade. Of course, you want to stay well hydrated,” said Western Mass News First Alert Meteorologist Don Maher.

He added that while temperatures may not reach over 100, other surfaces can.

“The air temperature may be 87, but the sunlight, concrete, now you’re looking at asphalt getting over 100 degrees,” Maher explained. “This is also a day where you don’t want to be leaving pets or kids in the car unattended for any period of time.”

Using our laser thermometer, we checked temperatures for ourselves. First, the asphalt in our Western Mass News parking lot Friday morning was around the 126 degree mark and a few hours later, it jumped over 10 degrees and neared 140 degrees.

With our news vehicles, our gauge picked up just over 100 degrees. We checked again after the car was parked in the sun for approximately two hours and it skyrocketed and peaked at 170 degrees.

Temperatures like these are why Dan Bertolasio from Chicopee and his dog, Madeline, hung out in the splash pad and skipped the walk on Friday.

“When it’s hot like this, we stay indoors, but she’ll only come out for 20 minutes or so,” Bertolasio said.

We asked Maher when it’s best for people to be outside on a day like Friday. He said before the sun’s peak hours in the morning and after sunset at the end of the day.