We know we’re stating the obvious here, but… it’s hot

Charlottesville City

Herman Key Jr. Recreation Center
800 E. Market St., Charlottesville
(across the street from the Lucky Seven and Guadalajara)
Monday to Friday, noon to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Central Branch
201 E. Market St., Charlottesville
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Wednesday and Sunday

Tonsler Recreation Center
500 Cherry Ave., Charlottesville
Monday to Friday, noon to 8 p.m.
Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Nelson County

The Nelson Center
8445 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston
Friday to Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.

John Adkins, Director of Emergency Services for Nelson County, recommends people check the Nelson County Emergency Services Facebook page for updates and more information.

Albemarle County

Albemarle County does not have plans to open any cooling center, the county’s staff told Charlottesville Tomorrow.

Fluvanna County

Fluvanna County does not have plans to open cooling centers this week, the county’s staff told Charlottesville Tomorrow. 

Greene County

Social services staff have not replied to Charlottesville Tomorrow’s request for information about cooling centers.

Louisa County

Louisa Department of Human Services
114 Industrial Dr., Louisa
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mineral Baptist Church
51 Louisa Ave., Mineral
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

Betty Queen Center
522 Industrial Dr., Louisa
(Cooling center will be separate from the pool)
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Janice Shepherd, Director of Human Services for Louisa County, said people can check for updates on the County website and on the Department of Human Services Facebook page.

These high temperatures are likely to stick around for the next couple of weeks, said Travis Koshko, chief meteorologist for CBS 19 News Charlottesville. And it’s not only going to be hot, it’s going to be dry. 

As of Thursday, June 13, the area was in an “abnormally dry drought status,” Koshko said. “We’ve only had fourteen hundredths of an inch of rain so far this month.”

It’s been a while since we had such high temperatures so early in the summer, but it’s not unprecedented, said Koshko after looking at climatology data from UVA’s McCormick Observatory.

“It’s not rare, but it’s not a regular occurrence, per say, that we get these streaks of consecutive days of 90 or 100 degree heat this early,” he said, pointing to some hot stretches similar to this one in June 2015, 2008, 2006, and 2000. And more than a century ago, from May 29, 1895 to June 5, 1895, temperatures stayed at or above 90 degrees for eight days.

So, are we looking at a particularly hot summer this year?

“Unfortunately, we think so,” said Koshko.

He urges folks to stay cool and hydrated, and to know the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion. This explainer from the Cleveland Clinic can help. 

Take Action

If you know of a cooling center we haven’t listed here, please hit this link and let us know! 

While we can’t cover every story that’s important to you, we do our best to be responsive to your needs. We use tips from readers to choose which stories to cover, to incorporate information into broader reports or to help us decide how to grow Charlottesville Tomorrow. Here’s where you can tell us what you think we should be covering.