Seattle Announces Cooling Locations, Safety Tips

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Seattle and surrounding areas from Tuesday afternoon through Friday night. The City of Seattle is preparing public spaces to be used by residents to stay cool, as well as tips to stay safe during periods of high heat.

Stay hydrated and check on vulnerable relatives and neighbors

• Drink plenty of water. Have a beverage like water with you at all times, and sip or drink frequently. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Avoid drinks with caffeine, alcohol and large amounts of sugar because they can cause de-hydration.
• Check on friends, family members and neighbors who may be elderly or have limited mobility to ensure they are staying cool and have access to drinking water.

City cooling center locations

Libraries

Seattle Center

The Seattle Center Armory is equipped with air conditioning, and will serve as a cooling center when the area experiences extreme heat. View the campus map PDF at http://www.seattlecenter.com/downloads/sc_map_color_gates.pdf.

• Seattle Center Armory (open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday)
• International Fountain
• Fountain of Creation (Dupen Fountain)

Senior Centers

The following senior centers have air conditioning or are relatively cool and are open to the public. Please call the individual location before you go for open hours and to verify that the facility is cool.

• Asian Counseling and Referral Service Senior Center (3639 Martin Luther King Way S.) – 206-695-7600
• Ballard NW Senior Center (5429 32nd Ave NW) – 206-297-0403
• Central Area Senior Center (500 30th Ave S) – 206-726-4926
• Greenwood Senior Center (525 N 85th Street) – 206-297-0875
• Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank (85 Pike St, #200) – 206-728-2773
• South Park Senior Center (8201 10th Ave S, Suite 5) - 206-767-2544
• The Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St) – 206-932-4044
• Southeast Seattle Senior Center (4655 South Holly St) – 206-722-0317
• Sunshine Garden Chinese Senior Community Center (611 S Lane St.) housed in the Chinese Information and Service Center – 206-624-5633
• Wallingford Community Senior Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Ste. 140) – 206-461-7825

Pools and Water Areas

Four-day-a-week Wading Pools (both are open noon to 6:30 p.m.):

• Hiawatha Community Center, 2700 California Ave. SW, Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat
• Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way SW, Mon/Tues/Sat/Sun

Three-day-a-week Wading Pools (all are open from noon to 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted):

• Bitter Lake, 13035 Linden Ave. N, Wed/Thu/Fri through August 18
• Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th, noon to 6:30 p.m., Fri/Sat/Sun through August 20
• Dahl Playfield, 7700 25th NE, Tues/Wed/Thurs through August 17
• East Queen Anne, 160 Howe St., Sun/Mon/Tue through August 20
• C. Hughes, 2805 SW Holden St., Wed/Thu/Fri through August 18
• Soundview, 1590 NW 90th St., Sat/Sun/Mon through August 20
• Wallingford, 4219 Wallingford Ave. N, Wed/Thu/Fri through August 118

Daily Wading Pools (all are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through September 5, unless otherwise noted):

• Green Lake, N 73rd and E Green Lake Dr. N
• Lincoln Park, 8600 Fauntleroy Ave. SW
• Magnuson, eastern end of NE 65th, noon to 6:30 p.m. through August 27
• Van Asselt, 2820 S Myrtle St.
• Volunteer Park, 1400 E Galer St

Daily Water Spray Parks (all are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through September 4):

• Ballard Commons, 5701 22nd NW
• Beacon Mountain at Jefferson Park, 3901 Beacon Ave. S
• John C. Little, 6961 37th S
• Lower Judkins, 2150 S Norman St.
• Georgetown Playfield, 750 S Homer St.
• Highland Park, 1100 SW Cloverdale
• Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave. N
• Miller Community Center, 330 19th E
• Northacres Park, 12800 1st NE
• Pratt Park, 1800 S Main St.

Lifeguarded Beaches (noon to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays)

• Matthews, 9300 51st NE through September 4
• Madison, 1900 43rd E through September 4

Mt. Baker, 2301 Lake Washington Blvd. S through September 4

• Seward, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S through September 4
• West Green Lake, 7312 W Green Lake Dr. through September 4
• East Green Lake, 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N through August 27
• Magnuson, park entrance at NE 65th and Sand Point Way NE through August 27
• Madrona, 853 Lake Washington Blvd. through August 27
• Pritchard Beach, 8400 55th S through August 27

Outdoor Pools

• “Pop” Mounger Pool, 2535 32nd W, daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., call 206-684-4708 for public swim times. Open through September 10.
• Colman Pool, 8603 Fauntleroy Way SW, daily, noon to 7 p.m., call 206-684-7494 for public swim times. Open through September 4 and open on September 9-10.

Protect your pets

Pets are especially vulnerable in high heat and the Seattle Animal Shelter recommends the following:

• Never leave your animal unattended in direct sunlight. Provide a shady area for retreat, such as a dog house, porch or shady tree, and always provide cool water.
• If you leave animals indoors, open screened windows, keep a fan running, provide plenty of water, and, if possible, leave them in a cool location.
• Never leave animals unattended in a vehicle. Animals do not perspire like humans; they cool themselves by panting. Seats in vehicles get hot under animals’ feet and prevent them from perspiring through their paws. Temperatures rise quickly leaving them trapped and unable to escape the heat.
• If you must travel with your pet, carry water. If a trip requires you to leave your pet in the car at any point, think about saving that for another day. It’s not worth the risk.
• Avoid overexerting your animal in hot weather. Exercise is fine when taken in moderation, but extreme heat conditions, obesity, old age, breed and underlying disease can predispose an animal to the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• For birds, take caution and place the bird’s cage away from direct sunlight during the intense heat of the afternoon. Provide water and fruits and vegetables with high moisture content.