Title: Enhancing NWS Heat Services through Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mapping Information

Speaker: Ileana Morales, NOAA EPP/MSI CESSRST-II Fellow at UTEP

Mentors:  Danielle Nagele, NOAA NWS

Date: June 14, 20223

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Venue: Virtual

Meeting Link : Google Meet

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Abstract: The global climate crisis is a prevalent issue that will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. With rising temperatures, susceptibility to heat effects has caused concern about thermal comfort and urban heat during the summer. Prior work has indicated that urban heat islands (UHI) can have adverse health outcomes and can be exacerbated depending on geographic location, race-ethnicity, housing characteristics, and socioeconomic disparities. When a comparison was made to demographic data the NIHHIS/NOAA UHI Mapping Campaigns conducted throughout the U.S indicated specific disproportionate heat effect throughout the different cities mapped. This current study analyzes the UHI effect throughout the city of San Diego by performing a spatial analysis combining physical and social vulnerability. In addition, it examines how this information can be used by National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) and their partners to create more effective heat products and messaging. We conducted informational interviews with WFO meteorologist and their partners on how to provide useful information based on the combination of UHI and social vulnerability data. Ultimately, we formulated some recommendations and best practices by which WFOs and their partners can use to identify and address high-risk social-physical geographies in San Diego City, using methods that can be transferred to other sites.