The Warning Ends at 8. The Heat Doesn’t. |
Vista and San Marcos get an alert downgrade Wednesday night—but not an instant cooldown |
At 8 p.m. PDT Wednesday, September 9, the Extreme Heat Warning covering Vista and San Marcos is scheduled to expire.
Good news?
Technically.
The National Weather Service has scheduled a Heat Advisory to begin immediately afterward and continue until 8 p.m. Thursday, September 10.
Translation: the alert changes names. The heat does not pack a suitcase and leave town.
Vista and San Marcos are forecast to reach about 100 degrees Wednesday, with heat-index values as high as 107. Overnight lows are expected to hover near 75 degrees.
Thursday should be less punishing, with highs near 91 in Vista and 92 in San Marcos.
Cooler? Yes. Cool? Let’s not get reckless.
Four local places to cool down
Vista has two official Cool Zones.
The McClellan Senior Center at 1400 Vale Terrace Drive is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Vista Library, at 700 Eucalyptus Avenue, is open from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.
San Marcos also has two verified locations.
The San Marcos Senior Center at 111 Richmar Avenue is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The San Marcos Library at 2 Civic Center Drive is open until 7 p.m. Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.
Cool Zones are free, air-conditioned places where people can escape excessive heat.
Based on currently published hours, all four local locations are scheduled to close before Wednesday’s warning expires. The latest close at 7 p.m.; the warning runs until 8.
Apparently, dangerous heat does not observe lobby hours.
Who needs an extra check-in?
San Diego County identifies older adults, babies, young children, outdoor workers and athletes, people with chronic health conditions, unsheltered residents, socially isolated people and those without air conditioning as especially vulnerable.
County officials recommend drinking plenty of water, avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest hours and checking on neighbors or relatives who may need help reaching a cooler location.
Children, older adults and pets should never be left in a parked vehicle. Cracking the windows does not make a hot car safe.
Know the difference
Heavy sweating, dizziness, headache, nausea and weakness may indicate heat exhaustion.
Move the person somewhere cool, loosen clothing, apply cool wet cloths and offer small sips of water.
Seek medical help if vomiting occurs, symptoms worsen or they continue beyond an hour.
Confusion, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing or a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher may signal heat stroke.
That is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately and begin cooling the person while help is coming.
Check current forecasts through the National Weather Service pages for Vista and San Marcos. Cool Zone details are available from the City of Vista and San Diego County.
Questions You May Have About The Heat Warning:
When does the Extreme Heat Warning end?
Does the heat alert end then?
Where are Vista’s Cool Zones?
Where are the San Marcos Cool Zones? |
6 Comments
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Quick tip: if you can't get to a cool zone, wet a towel and drape it over your neck. That helped me last year when my AC broke.
Shelley H.Great tip, Shelley. I also put my feet in a bucket of cool water when it's really bad. Makes a difference!
Funny how the warning just changes names but the heat sticks around. Classic! At least Thursday is supposed to be a little less brutal.
I work outdoors and this week has not been fun. Really wish the temps would drop back to normal. Stay cool, y’all.
Thanks for the reminder about checking on pets and older folks! My neighbor is in her 80s and doesn't have AC, so I bring her cold drinks during these heat waves.
Wish the cool zones stayed open later. Some of us get off work at 6 and by the time we make it over, they're about to shut. These hours just don't help everyone.