The City of Grand Junction has been selected by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to participate in the national Urban Heat Island campaign to address extreme heat in the U.S. To assist in capturing data during the hottest day of the year, the city is inviting volunteers to become community scientists for the project scheduled for Saturday, July 20 with July 27 and August 3 as alternatives in case of inclement weather. Learn more and become a volunteer.
Community volunteers or “Community Scientists” will collect data for use in recording heat index across areas of Grand Junction through heat sensors mounted on their car. In teams of two, community scientists will travel a designated route during the day to record temperatures. Interested community members can learn more online at EngageGJ.org and fill out the English or Spanish form online at gjcity.org. Deadline to apply is July 8, 2024
The data collected by volunteers will be used to identify urban heat islands, and areas where extreme heat impacts the community. In addition, this data will contribute to understanding of how natural spaces like the city’s urban tree canopy have cooling effects on our community.
Other selected communities for the 2024 program include Bloomington, Indiana; Calexico, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Flint, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota; Laredo, Texas; Pierce County, Washington; Reno and Sparks, Nevada; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Unincorporated Norcross, Georgia. Information about the 2023 campaign can be found online at heat.gov.
For questions about the city’s efforts or to volunteer as a community scientist for the heat mapping contact sustainability@gjcity.org For more information about the 2024 Urban Heat Campaign contact Monica Allen, director of Public Affairs with NOAA.