Extreme heat meets ‘Measurement Day’ as citizen scientists map weather in Northern Virginia – WTOP News

The latest dangerous heat wave is pushing temperatures to record levels across the D.C. area, which is a fitting backdrop for “Measurement Day.”

In Northern Virginia, the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center sent out more than 30 teams of citizen scientists for the Urban Heat Island Mapping Project on Thursday.

Data of extreme heat gathered will be analyzed and used for maps and visualizations designed to help with urban planning decisions, support public health interventions and advance environmental equity.

WTOP joined Meredith and John Haines, who are both oceanographers from Vienna, on one of their routes around Herndon.

An EZ Pass-sized sensor with magnets was on the roof of their EV SUV. Meredith said it turns the vehicle into a mobile weather station.

“It’s drawing air in through that vent on the front continuously,” Meredith said.

Thursday afternoon was the second of three times the pair drove the same route through Herndon.

The first drive was at 6 a.m., the second was at 2 p.m., and the third happened later in the evening. Their route took them by single-family homes, apartment complexes, cul-de-sacs and downtown Herndon.

At the end of one mapping session, Meredith recorded a high of 36 degrees Celsius, which she graciously explained was 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

All of the data is sent back to George Mason through an app and Meredith said they expect to have a report in October.

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