Unless you’re living under a very cool rock (send the address, please), you might notice that it’s getting a little warm. Boise is on watch to pass the city’s all-time record high temperature of 111° tomorrow and Thursday, which was set in 1898.
Perhaps even more dangerous is the risk of setting a new record for the most consecutive days in triple digits, which currently stands at four. The heat of 2022 tied that record, but the forecast shows that we might be about to double it. So what to do?
Take Care of Yourself
The basics bear repeating!
- If you stay hydrated, you don’t have to get hydrated.
- Be very mindful of cars, especially with pets and children. If you see an animal locked in a hot car in Boise with no owner in sight, you can break the car’s window after you call 911 or Animal Care and Control at 208-343-3166.
- Stay indoors whenever you can.
- If you’re going outside, take it easy.
There may come a day in the next week when your brain begs to be let outside, air conditioning be forgotten. For that, venture to a park you haven’t visited before. Bring along a big pack of popsicles to give out, or just find a new stretch of the Boise River to submerge yourself in.
Here are a few indoor air-conditioned activities:
- Check out one of these new restaurants or bars.
- Take yourself on a movie date to the Flicks.
- Pick up a new skill with a cooking class.
Helping Others Get Through
Unfortunately, this month isn’t the first time Boise has toyed with historic temperatures this year. You might remember that we had the fourth-snowiest January on record, then capped it with the hottest day recorded in the month of January.
All that is to say that record-breaking climate and weather patterns are now the norm, and we have to get each other through them.
One way to do that is by contributing to the JJ Saldaña Heat and Smoke Relief Fund, which changed its name to honor the passing of Saldaña late last year. The fund distributes cooling supplies to farmworkers to face the heat in Idaho fields, providing the backbone of the state’s economy and suffering greatly for it.
Another is by connecting with a mutual aid organization like the Boise Kitchen Collective or Boise Mutual Aid. Both have very easy and accessible drop offs for whatever you have to offer, from a full meal to sunscreen or bottled water.
Lastly, Our Path Home offers a summer cooling guide with updated information on cooling shelters, signs of heat stroke, and more. You may not need this information, but someone around you might.
