Excessive heat warnings remain in effect for the Potomac Communities until 8 p.m. Saturday, and sweltering temperatures in the forecast will could it feel up to 116 degrees.
The National Weather Service calls for temperatures at 100 or better today and Saturday, and heat index values that can make it feel even hotter leaving residents searching for ways to beat the heat.
At Stafford County’s Rowser government building on Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1) on Thursday, a public cooling shelter opened at 1 p.m. but no one came.
Then county officials had another idea: extend public swimming pool hours to help residents beat the heat that way.
The Woodlands Pool in North Stafford and Curtis Park Pool in Hartwood extended their open swim hours until 8 p.m. Thursday and will do so again Friday and Saturday from noon until 8 p.m.
Both pools usually limit the final two hours of the day to lap swimmers only, but have allowed everyone to swim due to the sweltering heat. While the pools aren’t free, the price of admission is cut in half at 4 p.m., said Stafford spokeswoman Cathy Riddle.
Officials in Stafford and Prince William counties on Thursday opened cooling shelters. Stafford’s was at the county’s Rowser Building while Prince William opened their cooling shelter on Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge.
Stafford’s shelter was set to remain open until 9 p.m. The shelter in Woodbridge was scheduled to be open until 6 p.m., Friday until 2 p.m. and Saturday until 10 a.m.
