As Fourth of July festivities kick off this week, so too will our first major heat wave of the year.
Temperatures could soar into the triple digits on Thursday and Friday, thrusting much of the northeast into extreme — and potentially dangerous — heat. Temps surpassing 100 degrees can cause exhaustion, heatstroke and worsen certain chronic illnesses, so having a plan in place to keep cool this week is crucial.
“We’re in for some brutally, brutally hot weather,” said New York State Governor Kathy Hochul in a press conference Sunday. “We are expecting some really, truly extreme heat over the next week, and if you have seen what’s happening elsewhere, this could be potentially deadly.”
The Lower Hudson Valley is chock-full of cooling centers — often nestled in libraries, senior centers and town halls — where the public can escape the heat wave. These air-conditioned spaces provide refuge for residents who aren’t able to keep cool at home or work.
The majority only become designated cooling centers during official heat events, so make sure to call ahead to ensure availability.
Here’s a list of the centers in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, and where to find them.
Cooling centers in Westchester County
Ardsley
Armonk
Bedford
Bedford Hills
Briarcliff Manor
Bronxville
Chappaqua
Cortlandt Manor
Croton-on-Hudson
Dobbs Ferry
Eastchester
Elmsford
Harrison
Hastings-on-Hudson
Irvington-on-Hudson
Katonah
Larchmont
Mamaroneck
Montrose
Mount Kisco
Mount Vernon
New Rochelle
North Salem
North White Plains
Ossining
Peekskill
Pelham
Pleasantville
Port Chester
Pound Ridge
Purchase
Rye
Scarsdale
Shrub Oak
Somers
South Salem
Tarrytown
Tuckahoe
Valhalla
West Harrison
White Plains
Yorktown Heights
Yonkers
Cooling centers in Rockland County
Airmont
Clarkstown
Haverstraw
Hillburn
Monsey
Nanuet
New City
Nyack
Orangeburg
Piermont
Pomona
Sloatsburg
Spring Valley
Stony Point
Suffern
West Haverstraw
West Nyack
Cooling centers in Putnam County
Brewster
Carmel
Cold Spring
Garrison
Kent Lakes
Mahopac
Patterson
Putnam Valley
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Temps may hit triple digits in Lower Hudson Valley. Where to keep cool
Reporting by Leia Green, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Leia Green, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
