How to Beat the Heat: See It Coming (More than a Week Ahead!)

There’s hot, like the typical heat of summer when children’s popsicles melt down their wrists before they can eat the whole thing, and the cool water from the garden hose is perfect to wipe away sweat and sticky dribbles. Then there’s HOT, like the soul-wilting swelter that makes people sick just walking around, mowing their lawns, or playing a little pickup basketball.

Heat is the #1 weather killer in America. Heat kills more Americans than tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, lightning, cold, snow, and rip tides. Many of the heat deaths are preventable with attainable safety steps, such as providing cooling for vulnerable people who do not have air conditioning, moving sports practices indoors or canceling them altogether, and ensuring people (especially children) are not left inside parked cars.

June has been a hot month in many parts of the U.S., and it’s only going to get worse. It isn’t just a typical summer heat, but rather extreme summer temperatures — the dangerous kind that causes illnesses and deaths. You probably have heard about the heat wave already and don’t need me to rub it in. Instead, I’m here to show you how to see it coming more than a few days in advance.

Heat is one of the most predictable of dangerous weather types. Forecasters often can detect an imminent heat wave 2–3 weeks in advance. They translate their computer models and statistics into maps that anyone can access, if you know where to find them and how to read them. Let’s break…