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Friday, June 28, 2013

117 Degrees this weekend! Hot, Hot, Hot!

“That time of year” comes a little early to the West this year with spikes in temperatures that we shouldn’t see until the end of July! With that in mind, it’s time to protect yourself, your family, your pets and your car from this heat!   Of course, #1 is hydration for both 2 legged and 4 legged beings.   If your lips are dry you are dehydrated.  If your pets usually drink a gallon of water a day – be sure to have 2 gallons of cool water available. 

Arguably #2 has to be not leaving pets or people sitting in the car without the a/c running.  On a 95⁰ day the air inside a parked vehicle can quickly reach 145⁰!  It doesn’t take long for this temperature to take its toll on any living thing.  At only 85⁰ and the windows lowered 2 inches, the temperature inside your car will reach 109⁰ in just 15 minutes. So a quick run in for coffee is too long!  If you see this happening – call the authorities immediately.  Even 10 minutes is too long.

The steering wheel on a 95⁰ day can reach 159⁰ and the dash can become a sweltering 181⁰!  There have been tests done showing that the dashboard can be used to cook bacon and eggs!  Wow!  And that’s at a 95⁰ day.  It’s going to be over 115⁰ here in the West this weekend – you do the math. 

If you use sunshades in your car you can reduce the heat build-up in your vehicle by 48⁰ and dark tint can do even more.  The glass on your vehicle acts as a magnifier so protection is imperative.   Even with some sort of sunscreen on your vehicle (whether tint, cardboard or reflective foam) I would recommend that you cover your seat and steering wheel with a towel.  It makes it a lot more comfortable to drive.

If the heat in your car is so intense that the a/c is not cooling it down, be sure to open all windows, sunroof or lower the top, so that the hot air can escape quicker. 




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