Summer

We’ve had plenty of hot days this summer, but what happens to the environment when concrete and asphalt surface temperatures heat well into the 100’s? Keenan Gibbons and his team at SmithGroup wanted to find out and used drones to study heat patterns along Huron Street in Ann Arbor. The research on heat islands has led to some determinations about how to mitigate impact and help move the city towards its carbon neutrality goals. Gibbons joined WEMU's David Fair to explain the research and its findings.

The Washtenaw County Health Department is encouraging locals to celebrate safe habits with Summer Health Day this Wednesday. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for all of Southeast Michigan, including Washtenaw County today. The advisory runs from 11am to 8pm. Prolonged exposure may lead to heat-related illnesses. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

The Ypsilanti District Library (YDL) is making summer more accessible, educational, and fun for everyone in the community. The library's eighth annual Summer Challenge, where readers of all ages earn badges for prizes, to free meals, mutual aid programs, and teen-led music showcases, offers a full slate of free programming. Lee Van Roth (formerly Rylee Barnsdale) will share more about the program and others being offered in a conversation with YDL Community Relations Coordinator, Sam Killian.

The Ann Arbor Fire Department is providing families an opportunity to cool down this July 4th by setting up a spray park in downtown Ann Arbor. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

A prolonged heat wave across southeast Michigan is producing dangerously hot conditions and will be with us through Tuesday night. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

Washtenaw County has released its list of cooling sites for the summer.

Food Gatherers is bridging the gap this summer by providing free meals to schoolchildren at several locations throughout Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

It is growing season, and deciding on how to landscape and decorate your gardens is part of the fun of spring and summer. Sometimes, we end up picking things that can have adverse environmental and ecological impacts. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the president of the Ann Arbor Area chapter of The Wild Ones, Marta Manildi, about how to pick safely and beautifully.

Ann Arbor residents will have the opportunity to experience the city’s first splash pad at Bicentennial Park within the coming year. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.