Extreme heat
Utah's heat records keep falling. The best protection is mostly free: a cool place to go, water, and checking on each other.
Heat is a quiet hazard: no smoke and no shaking, but it sends people to the emergency room every summer. Salt Lake City hit 109°F in July 2026, its hottest reading on record. Know where you'll cool off, learn the warning signs of heat illness, and look after the people most at risk. Deseret News (opens source in a new tab)
Why it matters in Utah
- Salt Lake City reached 109°F on July 12, 2026, its hottest temperature since records began in 1874. Logan hit at least 106°F and Ogden tied its record of 106°F the same day. Deseret News (opens source in a new tab)
- Utah's record high is 117°F at St. George, set in 1985 and tied in 2021. NOAA (opens source in a new tab)
- Utah has warmed more than 2.5°F since the early 1900s, and very warm nights have become much more common since 1990. NOAA (opens source in a new tab)
- Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Dinosaur National Monument had record-hot summers in 2026. An NPR and Boston University analysis estimates Utah's true heat death toll is more than twice what federal data show. KUER (opens source in a new tab)
- Heat isn't spread evenly. A 2023 heat-mapping drive found the central and western Salt Lake Valley hotter than the east bench, parks, and the Jordan River corridor. NHMU (opens source in a new tab)
Who's most affected
- Adults 65 and older, infants and children, pregnant people, people with chronic conditions, and people without air conditioning. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- Outdoor workers and athletes. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- People who take certain medicines, including some for blood pressure, depression, and ADHD. Many medicines, even over-the-counter ones, make it harder for the body to handle heat. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- People who live alone, are socially isolated, or don't have housing. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
What to do
1 Before
- Check the National Weather Service HeatRisk forecast in summer. It rates each of the next 7 days from 0 (little risk) to 4 (extreme). NWS HeatRisk (opens source in a new tab)
- Know where you'll cool off: a cooling center, a library, or a friend with air conditioning. In Salt Lake County, find a Cool Zone. Anywhere in Utah, dial 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 801-845-2211. SL County Cool Zones (opens source in a new tab) 211 Utah (opens source in a new tab) CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- Plan for heat and a power outage together. Heat can cause outages, so refrigerated medicines and electric medical devices need a backup plan. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- Ask your pharmacist whether any of your medicines raise your heat risk. Never leave medicines in a hot car: inhalers can burst and epinephrine auto-injectors can fail. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- Set up hot-day check-ins with relatives and neighbors who live alone or have a chronic illness. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- Never leave a child or a pet in a parked car, even for a minute. A child's body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult's. NHTSA (opens source in a new tab) NoHeatstroke.org (opens source in a new tab)
2 During
- Stay in air conditioning when you can. Use fans only when it's below 90°F indoors; above that, a fan can raise your body temperature instead of cooling you. CDC (opens source in a new tab) EPA (opens source in a new tab)
- Carry water and drink it, and go easy on sugary, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks. Light-yellow or clear urine is a good sign. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
- Heat exhaustion looks like headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, heavy sweating, and less urine than usual. Move to a cooler place, sip water if fully alert, and use cool compresses. Get medical help if the person vomits or symptoms last more than an hour. NIOSH (opens source in a new tab) NWS (opens source in a new tab)
- Heat stroke is an emergency. Watch for confusion, slurred speech, passing out, seizures, or a temperature above 103°F. Call 911, cool the person fast with cold water or ice, and don't give them fluids. NIOSH (opens source in a new tab) NWS (opens source in a new tab)
- Keep pets off hot asphalt and dark pavement, which can burn their paws. Ready.gov (opens source in a new tab)
- Check on older adults in your care at least twice a day. CDC (opens source in a new tab)
3 After
- After heat stroke or serious heat exhaustion, check with a doctor before heavy activity, and build back up over several weeks. MedlinePlus (opens source in a new tab)
- If the power was out for more than a day, throw out medicine that needs refrigeration unless its label says otherwise, and ask your pharmacist about replacements. Ready.gov (opens source in a new tab)
- Note what was hardest (sleep, a hot bedroom, medicines) and fix it before next summer.