Pierce County Opens Cooling Centers For Weekend Heat

TACOMA, WA — Pierce County is preparing for the hot weekend ahead by opening several cooling centers to the public.

The National Weather Service has been predicting unseasonably warm weather from Thursday through Saturday, with temperatures potentially breaking into the 90s in the South Sound by Friday.

Not wanting a repeat of last month's deadly heat wave, the county has taken the precaution of opening three cooling centers and inviting the public to come down and escape the heat. Older adults, young children, and people with mental illnesses or chronic diseases are at particularly high risk during heat waves, and are encouraged to take advantage of the cooling centers, especially if they don't have convenient access to AC or other means of cooling off.

Here's a look at which cooling centers will be open and when:

Franklin Pierce High School, located at 11002 18th Ave E, Tacoma, will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Friday. Pets are allowed, but must be kept on a leash or in a crate.

Lighthouse Activity Center, located at 5016 A Street, Tacoma. The activity center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The R.I.S.E. Center, at 2136 MLK Jr Way, Tacoma, will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Friday.

Cooling center visitors will be asked to wear masks and practice safe social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Pierce Transit will also be offering free rides to anyone headed to or from a cooling center.

The record-breaking heat wave late last month killed hundreds of people across the Pacific Northwest, including 23 in Pierce County. While this weekend's heat could still be dangerous to those who are sensitive to higher temperatures, the National Weather Service is not forecasting triple-digit highs like the region saw in June.

The NWS has still issued a heat advisory for eastern Pierce County and the cascades, including Bonney Lake and Sumner. The advisory expires at 11 p.m. Friday. Until then, residents are advised to stay out of the sun, drink extra water, and check up on their relatives or neighbors if they need assistance.