Climate refuges are not safe from heatwaves

If weather conditions hold throughout the week, 2024 will record the most days above 90°F in Buffalo during the month of June. For lifelong residents, this type of hot weather is a relatively new concern. With all the reports that Buffalo should be a climate haven, it’s important to note that our region spends little time preparing for the heat. It won’t be as hot as elsewhere in the country (the temperature at the Buffalo weather station has never reached 100°), but we won’t be immune to the effects of a rise in global temperatures.

Heat is the latest theme for Great Lakes Now, a public media initiative that covers the latest news and stories from the Great Lakes region. In addition to their weekly half-hour show (airing locally Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. on WNED-TV), they produce excellent research articles published on their website, including one directly related to our current heatwave.

Their report, Heat Islands in the Great Lakes: The human health cost, addresses the new challenges facing residents of major Great Lakes cities. The heat island effect is directly linked to our urban environments. Stone, concrete, and asphalt absorb heat from the sun and slowly release it back into the environment (see Culdesac, a car-free neighborhood outside of Phoenix, Arizona – the hottest city in the United States) . Downtown environments also retain additional heat thanks to their taller buildings and narrower streets that decrease airflow. More natural environments including grass, trees, and ponds retain much less heat from sweating – losing moisture and heat similar to human sweating.

In the natural cycle of things, heat stored during the day is lost during cooler nights. This is important because the human body needs time to cool down. Typically, this happens during sleep, when body temperature naturally drops. The problem today is that nighttime temperatures are not getting colder. In fact, more records are recorded for nighttime “low temperatures” than for daytime maximum temperatures.

Western New York has historically relied on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to serve as a summer air conditioner for the region. These days are numbered because the temperature of the lakes increases each year at the rate of global warming. During the brief warm-up a few weeks ago, a water temperature of 70°F was recorded in Buffalo Harbor, a temperature not usually seen before the Fourth of July. Additionally, we had an ice-free Lake Erie this year, which allows the lake to start with more heat gained earlier in the year.

Since the 1950s, the Great Lakes region has seen an increase in average temperatures of 2.3°F, which has contributed to an additional 9 to 10 frost-free days per year. Forecasts for this year call for a warmer-than-average summer, but with the ten hottest global temperatures recorded in the last decade, scientists need to rethink what “average” means in our warming world.

With the hot week ahead, it’s important to note that it’s not only uncomfortable, it can also be harmful to your health. Heat stroke, dehydration, and respiratory problems like asthma affected by poor air quality are just some of the things to worry about if you have to go outside. Heat also affects your pets. Before walking them on the sidewalk or in a parking lot, test the surface with your hand. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for their paws.

Have a plan to beat the heat. If your home doesn’t have air conditioning, know where to go to beat the heat. Check with your community to see if they have cooling centers set up – some public pools and splash pads are already open.

If you only have one window, don’t try to cool the whole house with it. Move your activities closer to the air conditioning unit and close the doors to the rest of the house and you’ll be more comfortable. Close the curtains on the sunny side of the house to block the sun’s heat. Wait until it’s cool at night and open windows on opposite sides of the house to get a cross breeze. Close them as soon as the heat returns to keep the air in your home cooler.

Stay hydrated. Have an extra pitcher of water in your refrigerator. Use it to wet a towel and place it around your neck to cool down. A shower will also help you cool down. Avoid using appliances during the day like an oven that will heat your home.

This was just a random list of things I did growing up on a brick ranch with no air conditioning and buying window air conditioning for my first house (another brick ranch) to beat the heat. That’s when I found it unbearable, in the mid 80’s. As we might see our first 90° day of the year before you read this, I hope you stay cool .

For an interactive look at how concrete and asphalt create heat islands, see the Reuters article The Ground is Lava. Also see