DENVER – It’s going to be so toasty in Denver over the next two days that the city is now letting residents know where they can go cool off if they happen to be outside this weekend.
Temperatures will get so hot that the National Weather Service in Boulder has issued a heat advisory from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday from Denver up to Fort Collins, east to Holyoke and Julesburg. The sizzling temperatures are also expected to break the record highs for both days.
That’s why Denver Parks and Rec. is opening all currently operating recreation centers to serve as cooling stations as well as some Denver Public Library so people can hide from the heat if the need arises (the Central Library, Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library and Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library will not serve as cooling stations).
City officials only ask that you check the hours of operation for your local recreation center and public library before heading out.
If you’re going to be outside at all this weekend, follow these safety tips:
- Wear and frequently reapply sunscreen
- Pace your activity and rest often
- Pay attention to muscle cramping, which may be an early sign of heat-related illness. To combat cramping and heat-related illnesses, drink more water than usual
- Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and a hat
The city also asks that you check up on the elderly, the sick and those without AC this weekend, as they are most at-risk of suffering from heat-related illness.
If you’re going to be driving somewhere, do not leave kids or pet unattended and make sure you do a double take before you lock your vehicle.
If you’re going to be outside with your pet this weekend, follow these other safety tips from Denver Animal Protection:
- Move the animal to shade or a cooler area
- Cool the pet down with water or ice packs on the stomach only
- Offer cool drinking water, but do not force-feed it
- Don’t dunk the pet in water. This can hurt them even more when their temperature regulation is impaired.
- Don’t cover, crate, or confine the animal
- Even if your pet responds to cooling treatments, it’s critical your pet sees an emergency veterinarian to see if it has suffered irreversible damage
See a pet inside a hot car? The city reminds you that you can call 911 or the Denver Police non-emergency number at (720) 913-2000. The city also has a Good Samaritan law in place which provides legal immunity if you do happen to break into a car window, but you must prove the following:
- You must believe the animal is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury
- The vehicle must be locked
- You must make a ‘reasonable effort’ to find the vehicle’s owner
- You must contact the Denver Police Department, Denver Fire or DAP before entering the vehicle
- You cannot use more force than necessary to free the animal
- If you break a window, you must remain with the animal and on scene until police or DAP officers arrive
Temperatures in Denver so far in July are slightly above normal for both daily maximum and minimum temperatures. The average temperature so far this month is 75.6 degrees, compared to a normal of 73.7 degrees.
After the hot weekend, we’ll see some relief on Monday, as a cold front moves through northeastern Colorado Sunday night and chances of rain and thunderstorms persist into Tuesday, along with high temperatures in the 80s.
