This Sunday, August 7th*, residents of Maryland’s Montgomery County will participate in the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) “Urban Heat Mapping Campaign”. In Montgomery County, inequitable planning and development has led to more intense heat and a disproportionately higher density of urban heat islands in some areas of the county than in others. This weekend’s county-wide collaboration between local organizations and volunteers will produce heat maps that will assist in generating innovative solutions for extreme heat in the community.

At the event, NOAA CPO employees, including NIHHIS staff, and community volunteers will serve as “street scientists”, using heat sensors mounted on vehicles to collect temperature, humidity, time, and location data around the county. Altogether, the volunteers will measure across an area of ~200 square miles in Montgomery County, covering many of the most densely populated areas like Fairland, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Olney, Rockville, and Silver Spring.

In addition to NOAA CPO employees and community volunteers, the guest list for Sunday’s event includes journalists, National Weather Service (NWS) Director Ken Graham, and Gretchen Goldman, Assistant Director for Environmental Science, Engineering, Policy, and Justice at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). See below for an itemized schedule of Sunday’s activities: 

*There is a chance this event could be rescheduled due to weather conditions. Keep alert for updates and forecast guidance.

Learn more about the UHI Effect »

Read more about the UHI Campaigns »

For more information, or to participate in Sunday’s event, contact Morgan Zabow.