Where to cool down for free during the heat wave in Eugene, Springfield and Lane County

Adam Duvernay, Register-Guard
·6 min read

There are spaces and resources available for those needing to escape the heat and other adverse conditions this week.

Temperatures throughout the Willamette Valley are expected to remain high throughout the week, potentially rising to more than 100 degrees during the hottest parts of the heat wave that has settled over Oregon. Smoke from California wildfires and ozone levels also may reduce air quality this week, making being outside a dangerous option.

As of Tuesday, Lane County does not plan to open its cooling centers, but other free, public spaces are open this week.

Forecast in 90s through the week

Temperatures around Eugene likely will reach into the mid-90s until at least Thursday, said National Weather Service Portland Office Meteorologist Jonathan Bumgarner. Tuesday was set be the warmest day, forecasted to potentially hit the high 90s.

Chances of temperatures topping 95 degrees are forecast to decrease as the week progresses, Bumgarner said.

Lane County is under a heat advisory. Other parts of the state, such as Portland, are under an excessive heat warning.

Read more:Incoming heat dome could be weeklong health risk for vulnerable populations

Relief is likely to come when a low-pressure system approaches the region from the eastern Pacific Ocean, but it is still unclear when it will reach the area and flatten the high-pressure ridge currently trapping in the heat.

Though forecast models suggest a gradual cooling this week, Bumgarner said it could be a more sudden change.

"I kind of think it's going to end a little more abruptly than what the guidance is saying, it's just a matter of when," he said. "It seems like one day we could go from the low 90s to mid-90s to the next day being in the low to mid-80s."

Wildfire smoke drifting north appears to be thin and is unlikely to provide much relief, Bumgarner said.

"There's a very thin layer of what we'd call haze in the upper atmosphere, and that could potentially keep us a couple degrees — at most — cooler than what we're forecasting," Bumgarner said.

Bumgarner said there isn't high confidence in forecasts for daily high temperatures over the course of the week due to a variety of factors, including smoke, the impact of sunshine on surface temperatures and strength of onshore winds.

"Either way it's going to be hot," Bumgarner said.

The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency issued an air quality advisory for the Eugene-Springfield area Tuesday due to elevated levels of ozone pollution, also known as smog. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also issued an air quality advisory for the Portland metro areas and the Willamette Valley due to elevated levels of ozone pollution.

Both air quality advisories are expected to be in effect until Saturday.

Beating the heat

Lane County cooling centers will not be open, but other facilities are available as places to escape high temperatures.

Eugene public library branches:

  • Downtown Library (100 W. 10th Ave.): Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

  • Bethel Branch (1990 Echo Hollow Road): Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday through Saturday. Open noon to 8 p.m. Thursday.

  • Sheldon Branch (1566 Coburg Road): Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday through Saturday. Open noon to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Eugene Community Centers are open for regular hours:

  • Amazon and Petersen Barn community centers: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

  • Hilyard Community Center: Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

  • Sheldon Community Center: Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

  • Campbell Community Center: Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

All water fountains and splash pads in Eugene are turned on for summer.

Eugene splash pads are available at:

  • Fairmount Park (East 15th Avenue and Fairmount Boulevard)

  • Oakmont Park (2295 Oakmont Way)

  • Skinner Butte Park (248 Cheshire Ave.)

  • Washington Park (2025 Washington St.)

City of Eugene swimming pools, which for a single visit cost $4.50 for children and seniors, and $5 for adults, are also open:

Other cooling spaces in Eugene

  • Emmaus Lutheran Church (1250 W. 18th Ave): Open 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday; closed Friday through Saturday and Monday.

  • First Baptist Church of Eugene (3550 Fox Meadow Road): Open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday and 8:45 a.m. to noon Sunday; closed Saturday.

  • Lane Community College Downtown Campus (101 W. 10th Ave.): Open 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

  • Saint Vincent de Paul’s Eugene Service Station (456 Highway 99N): Open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  • Saint Vincent de Paul’s First Place Family Center (1995 Amazon Parkway): Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Looking Glass Youth Sites New Roads (941 W. Seventh Ave.): Open for people between ages 16 to 24 in Eugene from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

  • Station 7 (931 W. Seventh Ave.): Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people between ages 11 to 20.

Cooling spaces in Springfield

  • City Hall (225 Fifth St.): Open noon to 7 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday; noon to 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.

  • Bob Keefer Center (250 S. 32nd St.): Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Signing into the facility is required.

  • Willamalane Adult Activity Center (215 W. C St.) Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Signing into the facility is required.

Cooling spaces in Cottage Grove

  • Cottage Grove Community Center (700 E. Gibbs Ave.): Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cooling spaces in Veneta

  • Fern Ridge Service Center (25035 W. Broadway Ave.): Open noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon heat wave: Spaces to cool down in Lane County for free