Latest news with #CalHeatScore
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
How severe will California's heat wave get near you? Here's a ranking for every neighborhood
This week, state officials launched a new tool that ranks heat wave severity and predicts impacts from sweltering temperatures at the neighborhood scale. The unveiling comes as intense heat is gripping Northern California, with parts of the Bay Area that could face triple-digit temperatures. Temperatures Friday, according to the new tool — dubbed the California Communities Extreme Heat Scoring System — are classified as 'severe' in places like San Jose, Walnut Creek and Concord. This is the highest heat severity category, on a scale of 0 ('low') to 4 ('severe'). At this level, communities face high risk of heat-related illnesses. Cooler temperatures are expected in San Francisco. But parts of the city, including the Bayview and South of Market neighborhoods, have a score of 3, corresponding with 'high' heat risk. Heat risk scores are calculated for individual ZIP codes through analysis of historical climate data, weather forecasts and potential health impacts. The model is based on emergency department visit data during the summer months. Temperature thresholds used for calculating scores differ between ZIP codes. The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment led the development of the tool. The National Weather Service provides a HeatRisk tool with similar heat-risk scores for the entire country. But that tool uses county-level data, while CalHeatScore relies on ZIP-code level emergency department data, said Walker Wieland, the program manager for CalHeatScore, during a media briefing Friday. 'We're able to use finer scale health data that really allows us to pinpoint more where those health vulnerabilities are,' Wieland said. The tool also provides socioeconomic and demographic data that highlights populations that may be vulnerable to extreme heat. 'This tool prioritizes those most at risk and helps ensure that no community is left behind,' said Yana Garcia, California's Secretary for Environmental Protection, during the Friday briefing. Garcia highlighted the correlation between heat and a range of negative health impacts, including increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations for medical issues. 'Not everyone experiences heat in the same way,' Garcia said. 'For example, many Californians don't have access to air conditioning. Some work long hours outdoors. Others are isolated or may face barriers to receiving critical health information.' A hotter future due to global warming brings additional challenges. 'As climate change drives rising temperatures, and as more frequent and intense heat waves hit communities across California, children in particular, older adults, outdoor workers and those with underlying health issues face the greatest risks,' Garcia said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
State launches new, interactive tool that ranks heat in every ZIP code
( — California has launched a new online tool that helps people understand the severity of heat waves in their area and provides them with resources to hopefully prevent heat-related illness. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced CalHeatScore on Thursday, saying it's the first heat-ranking tool in the nation and one of the only in the world. Defense Intelligence Agency IT Specialist arrested for allegedly sharing classified information It works by updating a daily heat score based on forecasting for every ZIP code in the state. The area gets a score of 0-4, zero being the lowest heat threat and four being the highest. Each ZIP code is also given information about its most vulnerable populations based on demographics, like the elderly and children. There are also resources for people, like tips for spotting the signs of heat-related illness and a list of the cooling centers closest to where you're at. CalHeatScore was developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Newsom said the tool comes at a critical time, after the Trump Administration cut some funding for the National Weather Service at the beginning of the year. The tool also comes following a 2021 recommendation from the California Department of Insurance's Climate Insurance Workgroup that the state create a platform like this. In addition to CalHeatScore, Newsom also announced more than $32 million in funding for 47 communities across the state to help with extreme heat mitigation efforts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
