Most SLC kids go to school in extreme urban heat zones
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Almost 80% of K-12 public school students in the Salt Lake metro attend schools in extreme urban heat zones, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: The heat island effect can make some neighborhoods notably warmer than others, especially during heat waves.
- The energy required to cool schools is already rising.
Driving the news: About 79% of public K-12 students in the 65 most populous U.S. cities attend schools where the heat island effect increases temperatures by at least 8 degrees, per a new analysis from Climate Central, a climate research group.
- Researchers examined more than 12,000 schools, with nearly 6.2 million students.
- The group's analysis is based on its previous work modeling urban heat zones, as well as National Center for Education Statistics data.
How it works: Heat islands amplify the impact and danger of extreme heat events fueled by human-driven climate change, with the built environment absorbing and trapping heat at the hyperlocal level.
- Urban heat islands are more common in lower-income and non-white neighborhoods, researchers have found.
Threat level: "Tens of thousands of public schools" need new or upgraded HVAC systems to meet increased cooling needs, per a 2024 Center for American Progress report, to the tune of $4.4 billion.
Flashback: Some northern Utah schools cut classes short during a blistering 2022 heat wave, when SLC highs exceeded 100° for at least a week in September.
Zoom in: The Utah High School Athletic Association sets limits on early August practice for "heat acclimatization."
Be smart: Check the National Weather Service's "HeatRisk" map to learn the day's rating at your child's school.
- Cache County School District, for example, provides guidance for each rating. At "moderate" and above, schools are advised to at least move outdoor activities to the coolest times of day, provide more water breaks and possibly cancel some classes and events.