Closures, free rides and cooling centers: How Sacramento is responding to extreme heat
Some local businesses and institutions are adapting operations and closing early this week as Sacramento enters a dangerous stretch of extreme heat.
Temperatures are forecast to be in the triple digits all week in Sacramento — 107 degrees or hotter each day, with highs of 110 degrees on Wednesday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Monday through Friday of this week, the Sacramento Zoo will close at 2 p.m., two hours earlier than usual, to protect visitors, staff and animals endangered by the high temperatures.
The early closure allows staff to avoid mid-afternoon heat and animals to spend more time in climate-controlled zones, the zoo said. People who have advance tickets are able to get refunds, upon request, due to the reduced hours.
The Sacramento History Museum has canceled all Old Sacramento Underground Tours this week. The tour about the city’s historic efforts to avoid flooding will start up again once temperatures ease to under 104 degrees. The rest of the museum remains open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
And in Placer County, officials alerted Hidden Falls Regional Park visitors that the popular hiking and biking destination will be closed from Tuesday through Saturday due to high heat and fire danger.
In response to the extreme heat, Sacramento-area officials have opened several air-conditioned spaces where residents can drop by to avoid the heat.
The cooling centers are open from Monday through Sunday, and they offer air conditioning and water to any community member who needs respite from the sun. The city also recommended libraries and community centers as chilled spaces that people can visit during normal hours of operation to escape high temperatures.
During the heat wave, Sacramento Regional Transit will provide free bus and light rail rides for those traveling to and from cooling centers in Sacramento County this Monday through Sunday.
Residents can use the free ride vouchers by printing out the flier or showing it on their phone. The no-cost transportation option is also available for two hours before and after cooling centers are in operation.
