SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An Excessive Heat Watch is in the forecast for Sacramento’s Labor Day weekend, and a number of city events are slated to go on as planned.
Water stations were assembled in Rocklin as just one of the many steps school districts are taking as temperatures begin to soar above triple digits. Rocklin High School moved its varsity football game up to 10 a.m. Saturday morning to beat the peak heat.
“Safety is always on our mind, so as the temperatures start to rise above 103, we really start to alter what we’re doing out here whether it be practice or games,” Jeff Harter, Rocklin High's Athletic Director, said. “We’re not just thinking about the players on the field but grandma and grandpa in the stands as well.”
California leaves the call to reschedule sporting events up to individual districts, but Harter said playing in the extreme heat is something coaches and players prepare for every summer. Emergency personnel will be on site for any overheated fans, and coaches are required to take a heat illness course to spot signs of exhaustion on the field.
“We’re looking for excessive sweating and even the stopping of sweating to know that the body is severely dehydrated, and of course, we’re trying to prevent those things by hydrating properly throughout the day,” Harter said.
Other events scheduled for Labor Day weekend are on track to continue despite the extreme heat, like the 32nd-annual “Chalk It Up” festival at Fremont Park.
“We have hundreds of volunteer chalk artists that will be out here,” John Nelson, with “Chalk It Up,” said. “They may be doing the art a little bit earlier in the day and not in the heat of the afternoon but we’ll be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday-Monday showing off all the great chalk art. This is a fundraiser. We’re raising money to benefit the next generation of artists and all the programs that support them.”
Nelson said tens of thousands of dollars are raised every year for the festival, and the hundreds of artists coloring city sidewalks will be kept cool in the shade, surrounded by plenty of hydration.
“We have icees and all sorts of beverages,” Nelson said, “So come out when it works for you and come check out the art.”
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