DENVER — Monday marked the first time the city of Denver opened close to 50 cooling centers to help community members escape the high heat and hydrate.
Amber Campbell, the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) public information officer, explained the cooling centers are at libraries and recreation centers and are free for the public to use.
“I don't think they're as highly utilized as we would like to see. We want people to really know that you don't have to be experiencing homelessness to come to one of these cooling centers. They're really meant for everyone in Denver. If you don't have air conditioning, if your air conditioner is broken, if you're just out at the park and you're like, wow, I'm getting really hot, I need to go cool down, you can just come in,” Campbell said.
The heat has been no stranger to Denver; however, this is the first time this year the National Weather Service has activated a heat advisory for the area. Russell Danielson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder, explained that they are seeing more high-heat days in the summer months.
“Unfortunately, we have seen a lot more heat of late, and we expect to see that in the years to come. Normally, we see two to four 100-degree days a year, and we expect to see much more of that going forward, including many more 90-degree days. In the 150-year history of Denver, we only average about 32 90-degree days. Over the past ten years, we've averaged around 50 90-degree days, so that trend is significantly upward,” Danielson said.
The cooling centers are located at libraries and recreation centers, and hours can vary by location. Campbell emphasized that community members should be aware of the different ways heat can affect the body.
“I think it is a definite priority and something that everyone needs to consider, because when you live here, you kind of just like, this is normal, but you don't really think about the impacts that it's going to have, like long term or even short term,” said Campbell. “I think it's really important for people to know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, that way they can get treatment if needed or move to a place to cool down.”
Some families headed outside Union Station on Monday with children playing in the fountain area to cool down. Eleven-year-old Dominique Contreras said she was cooling off and that it felt like a ‘steamy oven’ outside.
For those staying inside, Denver7 spoke with Andrew Holder, director of community relations and local government affairs for Xcel Energy Colorado, about cost-saving tips.
“Close the blinds in your home. Adjust your thermostat when you're away from your home or business to ensure that you're just using your energy in your home or business most efficiently, but also follow us on social media,” Holder said.
► Watch Maggy Wolanske's report in the video below:
When these high temperatures hit Colorado, Holder explained that they plan years in advance to ensure their grid is reliable.
“The entire energy grid is built for that bell curve for the hottest day in July. Our system generally peaks at about 7,300 MW,” explained Holder. “To put that in perspective, one megawatt can service about a 2,500-square-foot home; about 2,000 of them. So it's a large system, and we've built it to handle these extreme weather, these weather swings that we see here in Colorado.”
Our weather team anticipates the rest of the week will be hot. You can follow along for updates online or on our stream.
