La Crosse, WI
Weather Forecast Office
...HOW QUICK CAN TEMPERATURES CLIMB INSIDE A VEHICLE?...
THE DANGERS OF HEAT SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED. ONE OF THE MOST
DANGEROUS THINGS YOU CAN DO IS LEAVE A CHILD OR A PET INSIDE A
PARKED VEHICLE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER TURNED OFF.
TO DETERMINE HOW FAST TEMPERATURES CAN CLIMB...THE LA CROSSE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENT IN 2006 WITH A
PARKED CAR IN OUR PARKING LOT. A CAR WITH A DARK COLOR AND UNTINTED
WINDOWS WAS PARKED FACING SOUTH WITH A SUNNY SKY. THE AIR
CONDITIONER RAN UNTIL THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR REACHED 82 DEGREES AND
REMAINED STEADY. THEN A DIGITAL THERMOMETER WAS PUT IN THE REAR
SEAT. THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS TURNED OFF AND TEMPERATURE READINGS
WERE TAKEN EVERY 10 MINUTES.
HERE ARE THE RESULTS OF WHAT WE OBSERVED OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS...
TIME INTERIOR TEMPERATURE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
CDT DEGREES FAHRENHEIT DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
1120 AM 83 91
1130 AM 87 92
1140 AM 93 92
1150 AM 100 92
1200 NOON 104 93
1210 PM 107 93
1220 PM 110 93
1230 PM 113 94
1240 PM 115 94
1250 PM 118 94
100 PM 120 94
110 PM 122 95
120 PM 123 95
130 PM 124 95
THE WINDOWS WERE OPENED AFTER 130 PM AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED
TO 112 WITH A BREEZY SOUTH WIND.
EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES DID NOT CLIMB OVERLY FAST IN OUR
EXPERIMENT...A CHILDS BODY TEMPERATURE WARMS MUCH QUICKER THAN AN
ADULT. CONDITIONS CAN GET DEADLY RELATIVELY QUICK SO NEVER TAKE A
CHANCE. NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN...PETS...OR EVEN THE ELDERLY IN A
PARKED CAR FOR EVEN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME.
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La Crosse, WI
N2788 County Road FA
LaCrosse, WI 54601
608-784-7294
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