Keep your cool — if at all possible.
The Pittsburgh area is about to enter a heat wave, with temperatures rising above 90 degrees for a three-day stretch.
It will mark the hottest days the region has seen this year, said Fred McMullen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon.
Pittsburgh has had just one other 90-degree day this year: June 3.
Here’s what to expect.
The forecast
Beginning Wednesday, temperatures will reach the low 90s. The extreme heat will continue through Friday, when the high is expected to reach 93 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Rising temperature is expected this work week with low probabilities for afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) July 24, 2023
Favored locations for storm development each day remains difficult to ascertain and will partly depend on storm evolution NW of the region. pic.twitter.com/PoAutn0bmL
While this week’s weather comes on the heels of the hottest day recorded on Earth, the span of heat coming through Pittsburgh isn’t anomalous or record-breaking.
The most recent notable heat wave in southwestern Pennsylvania lasted eight days in 2020, with temperatures ranging from 90 to 94 degrees in early July, according to the National Weather Service.
The longest recorded heat wave in the Pittsburgh area was in July 1988, when temperatures hovered above 90 degrees for 13 days, according to NWS data.
Mr. McMullen said that going in to the first week of August, temperatures will cool down to “normal or slightly below normal.”
Sign of heat-related illness
Prolonged exposure to extreme heat could lead to injuries such as dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, according to Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC’s chief medical officer.
“The higher the temperature and the higher the humidity, it will create a bigger external stress load for everyone,” Dr. Yealy said.
Even healthy individuals are at risk of heat-related injury, but those with heart, lung, and neurological conditions, especially those who take medication to treat them or fall in “extremes of age” — younger than 5 or older than 65 — are the most at risk for adverse health complications, Dr. Yealy said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says symptoms associated with mild heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, include:
- muscle cramps
- fatigue
- lack of concentration
- cold and clammy skin
- paleness
- dizziness
- nausea or vomiting
- heavy sweating
However a lack of sweat could also be a sign of heat exhaustion, Dr. Yealy said.
“When you stop sweating and it's very hot outside, that may be another sign of dehydration,” he said.
With heat stroke, symptoms include:
- a body temperature over 104 degrees
- a fast and strong pulse
- loss of consciousness (fainting)
- confusion and dizziness
- headache and nausea
Treating the symptoms
To manage symptoms, the CDC recommends moving an injured person to a cooler space and lowering their temperature with by using a cool towel.
If a person may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911 immediately. But, if they appear to be suffering from heat exhaustion, seek medical help if symptoms get worse or last longer than one hour, the CDC recommends.
Someone suffering from heat exhaustion should also drink a glass of water, but a person suffering from heat stroke should not drink anything, according to CDC guidelines.
Not all about the temperature
Last weekend, when temperatures were cooler than what’s coming this week, Dr. Yealy said UMPC saw an increase in hospitalizations. The increase was in part from heat-related complications, and he stressed the importance of limiting time outside and alcohol consumption.
“People who are prolonged in a hot environment and doing a lot of activities — particularly if it involves alcohol-related things — that does not cool you off,” he said. “It actually just makes all of that less efficient and makes you more prone to some of those things.”
To limit risk of heat-related illness, Dr. Yealy recommends scheduling water breaks once an hour, limiting your time spent outdoors and finding cover in shaded areas if you need to be outside.
“Do the simple smart things,” he said. “If you don't feel right, that's a perfect time to reach out for some help from either your EMS providers, your local urgent care or the emergency department, depending on how many symptoms and the depth of symptoms.”
Cooling centers opening
The City of Pittsburgh will activate five cooling centers during the heat wave Wednesday through Friday and have other locations with air conditioning available.
The following locations will operate as cooling centers:
- Beechview Healthy Active Living Community Center, 1555 Broadway Ave.
- Brighton Heights Healthy Active Living Community Center, 3515 McClure Ave.
- Greenfield Healthy Active Living Community Center, 745 Greenfield Ave.
- Homewood Healthy Active Living Community Center, 7321 Frankstown Road
- Sheraden Healthy Active Living Community Center, 720 Sherwood Ave.
- South Side Healthy Active Living Community Center, 12th & Bingham streets
CitiParks rec centers with air conditioning will also be open in the following locations:
- 2217 Bedford Ave., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- 1400 Oakridge St., 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- 605 Redknap St., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 745 Greenfield Ave. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 1201 Paulson Ave., 9 p.m. 6 p.m.
- 201 Parkfield St., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
First Published: July 25, 2023, 5:40 p.m.
Updated: July 28, 2023, 6:12 p.m.
