Larner College of Medicine News & Media

The Hill Interviews Carney about School Closures Due to ‘Heat Days’

August 28, 2023 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(AUGUST 28, 2023) Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine and associate dean of public health and health policy, was interviewed by The Hill for a story about “heat days” that, similar to their winter counterpart—snow days—cause school closings due to excessive weather conditions.

Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine and associate dean of public health and health policy

(AUGUST 28, 2023) Jan Carney, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine and associate dean of public health and health policy, was interviewed by The Hill for a story about “heat days” that, similar to their winter counterpart—snow days—cause school closings due to excessive weather conditions.

This year alone, hundreds of schools across the country have started out their school year by promptly shutting down due to extreme August weather fueled by climate change.

“The heat wave season is getting longer. The average length of the annual heat wave season in the 1960s was maybe 25 days, and now it’s over 70 days. And then, the intensity, the average temperatures are getting hotter,” Carney said. “Are these heat days becoming the new snow days? And my answer to that is yes.”

“The seasons are lasting longer, and we need to prepare at the moment and both for individuals and our communities. And then also, of course, support policies that help this in the long term,” she added.

Read full story at The Hill