Extreme Heat Expected On 1st Full Weekend Of College Football

American football stadium with goal post and ball on tee ready for field goal kick. Focus on foreground ball with shallow depth of field on background and copy space.

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As the first full weekend of college football approaches, extreme heat will be a feature for many locations east of the Rocky Mountains. The National Weather Service is forecasting above-normal temperatures in many places for the first weekend of September. The culprit is a persistent area of high pressure or what many outlets refer to a heat dome these days.

“A dangerous late-summer heat wave will continue to bring extremely hot temperatures to the central U.S. through the weekend into next week as a large mid/upper ridge remains centered over the region,” wrote NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center forecasters. “High temperatures well into the 90s and low 100s combined with high humidity and very warm overnight lows in the mid 70s will result in widespread areas of Major to Extreme Heat Risk and a concern for
heat-related illnesses,” they went on to say. Similar hot conditions are expected in the Southeast and southern part of the Mid-Atlantic region. There is a hint of relief Sunday as a cold front slides through the region.

Some of the best college football in the country happens in the SEC, Big 10, and ACC conferences. Many of those schools are expecting high temperatures in the upper nineties as shown in the map above. Many places could see temperatures at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When you factor in the humidity, the heat index and Wet-Bulb Globe Temperatures move into dangerous territory. As context, typical high temperatures on September 5 in Norman, Oklahoma are usually in the mid-to-upper eighties. They could get close to 100 degrees F on Saturday.

NWS statistics continue to show that heat is the deadliest weather event annually in the U.S. over the past thirty years. This presents challenges for schools, fans, and workers. In “week zero” of the college football season, we saw a preview of the extreme heat – college football convergence. The University of Southern California played San Jose State University under sweltering heat conditions last Saturday. Many fans chose to stay home or had to leave the stadium. According to ESPN, some fans passed out or experienced other heat-related illnesses.

Candidly, this is not your grandfather’s Septembersof the past. Yes, I know it is hot on Labor Day Weekend in many parts of the country, but it is not supposed to be 10 degress or more above average temperatures. September 1 is the beginning of meteorological fall, and over the past several decades, temperatures are continuing to increase. Yet, college football season and pre-game training leading up to it start in some of the hottest conditions of the year. While many football programs are providing measures to mitigate the impact of heat Saturday on players, officials, fans, and workers, a bigger question looms in decades to come about the timing of the sport.

If attending games on Saturday, I urge people to be extra cognizant of their physical well-being, available resources, and best practices. Here are my recommendations:

1. Limit alcohol consumption.
2. Stay hydrated with water.
3. Seek cooling stations and other resources being offered at the stadium.
4. Monitor how you are feeling. Signs of heat exhaustion include Heat exhaustion can develop quickly, but is often treatable when addressed early.
5. Be aware of symptoms of heat exhaustion including nausea, dizziness, excessive sweating, fatigue, clammy skin. Heat stroke is more serious and requires medical attention immediately.
6. Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
7. Apply sunscreen.
8. Know where medical attendants and services are located and how to contact them in an emergency.