MILWAUKEE — Some parts of Milwaukee get hotter than others, according to a State Department of Natural Resources study done last summer. Now, experts are warning you ahead of this week's warm temperatures, that some spots could be warmer than others.
SUMMER SCORCHER NEWS COVERAGE:
- Milwaukee Public Schools closed Aug. 23 due to excessive heat, website says
- Milwaukee Health Department issues Heat Health Warning for Wednesday
"Some people like it hot. I don't mind it as much, but of course, I'll probably be saying something different tomorrow," Gary Olsen said.
Olsen was visiting Milwaukee with his friends. He said they knew the heat wave was coming, so they tried to get most of their activities out of the way on the cooler days.
With a heat index of more than 100 degrees in the coming days, Olsen and his friends are finding ways to beat the heat.
"Mostly hydration is the main thing, and stay in the shade as much as I can," Olsen said.
State experts found the more shaded an area is in urban cities, the cooler temperatures can get.
"Trees and other vegetation can play a really profound effect in mitigating and lowering, reducing temperatures in cities," Dan Buckler said.
Buckler's an urban forester with the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Last summer, he and several volunteers measured temperatures in different parts of the city at different times of the day.
"It is getting hotter, and that is hard to tolerate," Olsen added.
The study found some parts of Milwaukee are hotter than others. One of the hottest spots in the city is Brady Street. Buckler said that area alone could reach up to 10 degrees warmer than other parts of the city. Other hot parts, Buckler said, are downtown, the east side and near south side.
"It's very difficult to grow trees. There's a concentration of concrete and asphalt and buildings of course," Buckler explained.
So if you're trying to stay cool this week, there are some spots around the city you can flock to.
"The far northwest side, which is almost even suburban like is pretty cool. The zoo was like a nice cool temperature oasis," Buckler said.
Buckler's team created an interactive heat map that shows the differences in temperatures across the city last summer. To view the whole study, click here.
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