ROANOKE, Va. – Ask anyone in the weather forecasting industry, and they’ll tell you that there’s been a more focused effort on communicating weather impacts instead of just numbers.
One such example is HeatRisk, a collaboration between the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control. HeatRisk was first developed as a prototype for California in 2013 before expanding into the Western U.S. four years later.
It “provides information and guidance for those who are particularly vulnerable to heat,” according to NOAA.
After all, heat has been the number one weather-related killer in the U.S. for at least the last 30 years.
By identifying how unusually hot it will be, the duration of the heat and the time of year (among other parameters), a five-tier scale has been devised to assess the threat heat poses to those most vulnerable.
The forecast goes seven days in advance.
A more detailed breakdown of the HeatRisk shows the difference between a 0 (No Risk) and a 4 (Extreme Risk).
This graphic posted by the National Weather Service dives deeper into what we posted above, showing the meaning, who’s at risk, the commonality of heat and preventative actions.
CDC Director, Mandy Cohen, says, “We are releasing new heat and health tools and guidance to help people take simple steps to stay safe in the heat.”
This may all seem far-fetched for us, but you can see the trend in heat in our area when you break down the average number of 90° days in Roanoke.
Combine that with the fact that parts of the city tend to be an urban heat island, and you can see why HeatRisk might be useful.
Looking ahead at late April, when we’ll be warmer, you can see how there’s a ‘Minor’ HeatRisk in our area.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that this tool will be used in conjunction with, or as a compliment to, the Heat Index or Wet Bulb Globe Temperature.
Although we’re far off from the hottest time of year, it’s important to note the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.