Columbus Recreation and Parks Department will be opening its cooling centers a few days earlier than planned as a result of a “heat dome” settling over central Ohio.
Cooling centers throughout Columbus will be opening on June 30 instead of the original planned date of July 2 at the city’s five recreation centers, according to Kerry Francis, a Recreation and Parks spokesperson. Hours at the centers will be extended from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The recreation centers are:
City pools to also have extended hours, free admission during heat wave
In addition to the cooling centers, the city’s seven outdoor pools will have extended hours from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Francis said. Recreation and Parks will also be waiving the regular $3 pool admission fee during the heat wave.
However, Francis encouraged residents to check the Columbus Recreation and Parks website before heading to a particular pool, as facilities may reach capacity with increased attendance. Entry will be denied once a pool reaches capacity.
Recreation and Parks decided to open the cooling centers earlier due to a forecasted heat wave that’s expected to bring high temperatures in the 90s this week that are expected to reach up to 98 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The weather service is also predicting “feels like” temperatures of more than 100 degrees, meaning your body will feel hotter because high humidity prevents your body from cooling effectively.
As of late evening June 29, the Recreation and Parks website still said the cooling centers would be opening on July 2, but Francis said she still needed to update the website to reflect that they’d be opening on June 30.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus cooling centers to open June 30 as heat wave grips region
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
