Participate in community heat mapping this summer!

Feeling the heat in Montgomery County? Take action by participating in community heat mapping this summer!

This summer, Montgomery County is doing a community heat-mapping project that will bring together local organizations and volunteers to produce heat maps and generate creative and collaborative solutions for extreme heat in our area. Montgomery County will be one of 16 jurisdictions globally that will collaborate with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and community scientists to map heat inequities.

Urban Heat Islands are areas that can be up to 20 degrees hotter than nearby neighborhoods due to buildings, pavement, and other parts of urban environments amplifying high temperatures.

Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather event, but not everyone’s risk is the same. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat, and these local maps will help us identify where we can take action to protect vulnerable neighborhoods both now and in the future.

Urban Heat Island Mapping Volunteer Registration

Where do you feel the heat?

Which areas in the community do you feel are important with respect to heat, such as parks, bus stops, and schools? What are some areas where you recognize the heat difference in the county, for example, parking lots or streets you avoid? Mark them on the map below.

Click the plus symbol on the map below to add your location pin to the map. Click on an existing pin on the map below and press the “thumbs up” button to indicate you agree it is a location of concern. You can add areas by name (for example, Beall Elementary School) or by dragging a pin to a point on the map to highlight an unnamed parking lot, bus stop, or intersection.

Become a Street Scientist:

• Montgomery County is seeking volunteer street scientists to collect data about our region’s hottest and coolest places during an upcoming heatwave this summer.
• During the one-day heat mapping campaign, data collected by volunteers will be used to develop temperature and heat index maps of the region (see Seattle example) and help address heat-related vulnerabilities across the region. 
• On a designated day in early August, you’ll collect thousands of temperatures and
  humidity measurements over three one-hour periods as a driver or navigator in your neighborhood
• Information on participant stipends and reimbursement will be discussed further with volunteers.

What will street scientists do?

Volunteers are needed to drive along predetermined routes in your area over three separate one-hour periods during a hot day in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Volunteers will use a simple data-collection device attached to the vehicle to measure surrounding temperature and humidity. You can also volunteer as a navigator and help direct drivers’ turns along their route. 

Who is eligible to volunteer?

Anyone is eligible to sign up below to help in the project as there are multiple roles needed from driver, navigator, and neighborhood organizer. Drivers will need a valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and access to a vehicle. 

What is the role of a neighborhood organizer?

The volunteer role of a neighborhood organizer is someone that will engage their hyper-local community to understand and participate in the mapping project. The role is flexible and a great opportunity to engage if you aren’t available to be a driver or would like to be more involved in the project. 

On what day will the heat mapping campaign occur?

That will depend on the weather forecast. Heat mapping is best done on a hot temperature and clear-skied day. Using historical weather patterns and support from the National Weather Service, the target campaign date for Montgomery County is a weekend in the first two weeks of August. While weather changes, The county will confirm this selected campaign date a few weeks prior as forecasts become more reliable. 

Registration

Please note that signing up does not commit you to the project; instead, the process will begin by building out a roster of potential volunteers and will reach out to you to discuss your participation.