Colorado will join the rest of the nation that will see temperatures ramp up this weekend.
Starting Friday, the state is bracing for a forecasted high of 101 degrees, with 100-degree days continuing through the weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a heat advisory for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a projected high of 102 degrees, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
An upper-level pattern called a ridge will come over the Denver area and remain stagnant over Colorado, creating a heat wave, Ayesha Wilkinson, a meteorologist for NWS, told The Denver Gazette.
Places that should expect the highest temperatures are Fort Collins, Greely, Boulder, Denver, and the western suburbs of Denver, according to the advisory.
Thursday will be hot, but it won’t be as much of a risk as the following three days.
Friday’s high is projected to reach 101 degrees, which will continue into Saturday with a 100-degree high. Sunday will see a high of 102 degrees, according to the forecast.
City officials plan on activating cooling centers for the public beginning on Friday and continuing through Sunday, said Amber Campbell, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.
The public can access recreation‘s centers during normal business hours to cool off. Designated areas will have access to drinking water, restrooms, and a place to sit, according to the city.
Denver Public Library locations — with the exception of Central Library, Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library and Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library — are also available to the public during normal business hours.
The Department of Housing Stability said homeless people can also seek refuge from the heat at shelters. The department will also offer a free circulator bus service for homeless people from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
NWS — which has recorded temperatures in Denver since 1872 — said that the predicted temperatures on Saturday have the potential to be record-breaking, since they haven’t been that high since 1878.
“If you’re sensitive to heat, make sure you limit the amount of time that you’re outside,” said Wilkinson.
The health department recommends the following steps:
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Stay inside in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible
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Drink more water than usual and people should not wait until they’re thirsty to drink
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Take cool showers or baths to cool down, instead of using fans
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Don’t drink alcohol or beverages that contain caffeine
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Limit any outdoor activity, especially during the middle of the day when the sun is hottest
For people outside, the agency offered the following tips:
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Wear, and frequently reapply, sunscreen
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Pace the activity and rest often
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Pay attention to muscle cramping, which may be an early sign of heat-related illness
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Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and a hat
Authorities also noted that pets are susceptible to heat-related injuries because they do not sweat like humans do. If dogs aren’t able to take in cool air, their bodies have no way of cooling down.
Authorities said that if people see a dog in a hot car, they should immediately call 311 or the police’s non-emergency number at 720-913-2000, adding that the city’s Good Samaritan law provides legal immunity to people who break a car window to save an animal.
