California is inviting the public to participate in a series of informational webinars regarding its new CalHeatScore tool, designed to alert residents to extreme heat risks and connect them with resources. The first webinar is scheduled for Thursday, June 12th, from 12-1 p.m..
This series aims to provide background on CalHeatScore, offer examples of how to use the tool, and give an overview of the public engagement process. The webinars are a collaborative effort between the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), and the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC).
CalHeatScore is the nation's first zip-code-level heat ranking system, developed to help communities prepare for hotter days. It scores forecasted extreme heat risk conditions from 0 (low risk) to 4 (severe). The tool also provides health tips, information on how to recognize heat-related illness, and locations of local cooling centers.
Newsom allocated $32.4 million to support 47 communities, including with infrastructure investments. The state is actively gathering public feedback to refine and improve the tool, with these webinars serving as a key part of that process.
The public can register for the first webinar on Zoom. OEHHA leads the development of CalHeatScore, which was built in response to Assembly Bill No. 2238, requiring a statewide extreme heat ranking system. The tool translates meteorological, weather, and health data into easy-to-understand heat risk alerts to help reduce heat-related illness and save lives. It is updated daily and calculates risk at the zip code level, informed by local weather conditions and historical heat-related emergency department visits.
