It’s getting hot in Charlotte. Use these city resources to keep cool in steamy weather

Mary Ramsey
·2 min read
Melinda Chavez, 9, and Kendra Colorado, 6, splash in the water to beat the summer heat at the Forest Hills Sprayground in Durham, N.C. on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

Summer weather is officially here in Charlotte, with steamy temperatures rolling into the region.

Daytime highs in Charlotte will approach the mid-90s through the rest of the week and into the holiday weekend, the National Weather Service forecasts as of Thursday morning.

With temperatures like that, it’s especially important to take precautions to stay cool, public health officials say. More than 360 people in North Carolina have already had to go to an emergency room for heat-related illness this summer, the Department of Health and Human Services said in its “Heat Report.”

In Mecklenburg County, there are services available to help you and your family beat the heat without breaking the bank.

Here’s what to know about places to cool down amid summer heat in the Charlotte area:

Are cooling stations open in Charlotte?

“There are no plans to open cooling stations” in Charlotte as of Thursday morning, Chelsea Helton, a planner for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office, said.

But, she told The Charlotte Observer, the “team is in constant communication” with the county, the city and homeless service providers “to address any potential needs in the community.”

“CMEMO, Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte and our partners will continue to monitor the weather and community needs and act accordingly,” Helton said.

Public pools and ‘spraygrounds’ in Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation offers multiple indoor and outdoor pools and water activities, including:

  • Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center

  • Eastway Regional Recreation Center

  • Marion Diehl Recreation Center and Indoor Pool

  • Northern Regional Recreation Center

  • Ray’s Splash Planet

  • Cordelia Pool

  • Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center

  • Ramsey Creek Beach

For location-specific details on hours and pool pass prices where applicable, visit parkandrec.mecknc.gov/Places-to-Visit/Pools-Beaches-Spraygrounds.

Multiple “spraygrounds” are open across the city from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day: Parks with spraygrounds are:

  • Cordelia Park

  • Nevin Park

  • Clarks Creek Park

  • Elizabeth Park

  • First Ward Park

  • Latta Park

  • Romare Bearden Park

  • Veterans Park

  • West Charlotte Park

Free fan giveaway

The parks department is also giving away free box fans to some residents to help them stay cool this summer, the county announced in June.

“Mecklenburg County residents 60 years and older and adults ages 18 to 59 who receive disability income” are eligible for the program.

You must register ahead of time to get a fan, and you will have to show “a valid driver’s license or state ID providing proof of age and a current Mecklenburg County address” when you pick up the fan.

Register online for a fan here or call one of the distribution locations. Distribution locations are:

  • Albemarle Road Recreation Center

  • Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center

  • David B. Waymer Recreation and Senior Center

  • Eastway Regional Recreation Center

  • Mallard Creek Recreation Center

  • Northern Regional Recreation Center

  • Southview Recreation Center

  • Tyvola Senior Center