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The Great Outdoors: Weather Safety
Are you Weather-Ready for the Great Outdoors?
Lightning
Flash Flooding
Heat
Air Quality
Know Before You Go!
The Great Outdoors are wondrous, awe inspiring, and both physically and mentally beneficial to experience. However, the Great Outdoors bring with them various weather and environmental hazards that can ruin your adventure and even be very dangerous. It is important to know your risks, take action to prepare and minimize those risks, and serve as an example for others to emulate. Here are some fundamental actions you can take and safety content you can share with family, friends, and across social media.
The Great Outdoors, especially during the warmer months, can be susceptible to quick forming thunderstorms. The weather can change dramatically in mountainous areas and near large bodies of water. Extreme weather can be a bit more extreme in the Great Outdoors. Make sure you plan ahead and “know before you go” to the chances of lightning in the forecast.
Some quick tips include:
- Schedule day hikes or other activities to avoid times when thunderstorms are possible (which typically form in the late afternoon).
- Identify locations with adequate shelter and reduced exposure to lightning.
- Keep a close watch of the sky and look for those towering clouds bubbling upward. These can be thunderstorms forming.
Are you planning to camp or hike near a stream or river? Remember that it doesn’t have to rain directly over you for there to be flooding. If you notice even a slight rise in water level, seek higher ground immediately!
Slot canyons are nature’s masterpieces, but are also susceptible to flash flooding. Flooding can occur even if there is blue sky above as rainwater can flow from an area that flows into the slot canyon.
Know the signs of an impending flash flood:
- Rising water levels and/or stronger currents
- Increasing roar of water up canyon
- Floating debris
- Sudden changes in water from clear to muddy
During hot and humid weather, your body's ability to cool itself is challenged in ways you may not expect. When your body heats too rapidly, or when too much fluid or salt is lost through dehydration or sweating, you could experience a heat-related illness.
Stay safe outdoors during the heat:
- Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day.
- Drink plenty of water (not very cold), non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty.
- Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, loose fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
- Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body's ability to dissipate heat.
- Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, put it in a cooler or carry an ice pack. Don't leave it sitting in the sun. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
Everyone is at risk to the dangers of heat illness, but some people are especially vulnerable:
- Newborns / children
- Pregnant people
- The elderly
- People with chronic illness
Age and certain conditions make the body less able to regulate temperature. Take extra care to ensure they remain safe from the heat.
Before you go out, check the check the air quality forecast.
Poor air quality can be hazardous to anyone, and it can aggravate health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease. Seniors, children and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.
Air quality is reported using the Air Quality Index (AQI). It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The higher the number, the greater the health concern. Learn more about the AQI at airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics
Additional Resources:
- NOAA's National Weather Service
Check the forecast and learn more about weather safety. - National Park Service Health and Safety
Find parks and explore nature. - FEMA’s Ready.gov
Plan ahead for disasters.
The Great Outdoors are wondrous, awe inspiring, and both physically and mentally beneficial to experience. However, the Great Outdoors bring with them various weather and environmental hazards that can ruin your adventure and even be very dangerous. It is important to know your risks, take action to prepare and minimize those risks, and serve as an example for others to emulate. Here are some fundamental actions you can take and safety content you can share with family, friends, and across social media.
The Great Outdoors, especially during the warmer months, can be susceptible to quick forming thunderstorms. The weather can change dramatically in mountainous areas and near large bodies of water. Extreme weather can be a bit more extreme in the Great Outdoors. Make sure you plan ahead and “know before you go” to the chances of lightning in the forecast.
Some quick tips include:
- Schedule day hikes or other activities to avoid times when thunderstorms are possible (which typically form in the late afternoon).
- Identify locations with adequate shelter and reduced exposure to lightning.
- Keep a close watch of the sky and look for those towering clouds bubbling upward. These can be thunderstorms forming.
Are you planning to camp or hike near a stream or river? Remember that it doesn’t have to rain directly over you for there to be flooding. If you notice even a slight rise in water level, seek higher ground immediately!
Slot canyons are nature’s masterpieces, but are also susceptible to flash flooding. Flooding can occur even if there is blue sky above as rainwater can flow from an area that flows into the slot canyon.
Know the signs of an impending flash flood:
- Rising water levels and/or stronger currents
- Increasing roar of water up canyon
- Floating debris
- Sudden changes in water from clear to muddy
During hot and humid weather, your body's ability to cool itself is challenged in ways you may not expect. When your body heats too rapidly, or when too much fluid or salt is lost through dehydration or sweating, you could experience a heat-related illness.
Stay safe outdoors during the heat:
- Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day.
- Drink plenty of water (not very cold), non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty.
- Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, loose fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
- Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body's ability to dissipate heat.
- Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, put it in a cooler or carry an ice pack. Don't leave it sitting in the sun. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
Everyone is at risk to the dangers of heat illness, but some people are especially vulnerable:
- Newborns / children
- Pregnant people
- The elderly
- People with chronic illness
Age and certain conditions make the body less able to regulate temperature. Take extra care to ensure they remain safe from the heat.
Before you go out, check the check the air quality forecast.
Poor air quality can be hazardous to anyone, and it can aggravate health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease. Seniors, children and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.
Air quality is reported using the Air Quality Index (AQI). It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The higher the number, the greater the health concern. Learn more about the AQI at airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics
Additional Resources:
- NOAA's National Weather Service
Check the forecast and learn more about weather safety. - National Park Service Health and Safety
Find parks and explore nature. - FEMA’s Ready.gov
Plan ahead for disasters.