[Ccarc] NWS Heat experiment

[Tom Murray]

NOUS43 KIND 012035
PNSIND
INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-012230-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
435 PM EDT TUE AUG 1 2006

...DEADLY TEMPERATURES REACHED QUICKLY IN PARKED VEHICLES...

AN UNSCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT WAS CONDUCTED TODAY AT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE AT INDIANAPOLIS. THE OBJECT WAS TO
DETERMINE HOW QUICKLY AN AUTOMOBILE WOULD HEAT UP TO LEVELS THAT
WOULD POSE AN HEALTH HAZARD TO CHILDREN AND PETS LEFT IN A PARKED
VEHICLE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER TURNED OFF.

THE DAY HAS BEEN MOSTLY SUNNY. THE VEHICLE...A MAROON VAN...WAS
PARKED WITH THE FRONT END FACING NORTH.

THIS SIMPLIFIED EXPERIMENT CONSISTED OF PLACING AN ELECTRONIC
THERMOMETER INSIDE THE AUTOMOBILE...AND USING ONE ALREADY
INSTALLED ON THE PREMISES TO MEASURE AMBIENT OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE.
PERIODIC READINGS WERE THEN TAKEN FROM BOTH SENSORS...AND COMPARED
TO EACH OTHER.

WITH THE AUTOMOBILE COOLED TO 84 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT BY THE AIR
CONDITIONER...THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND MONITORING BEGAN AT
1135 AM EDT. AFTER ONLY 30 MINUTES...THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE
VEHICLE HAD WARMED TO 99 DEGREES. BY 205 PM EDT...THE TEMPERATURE
INSIDE THE VEHICLE HAD REACHED A DEADLY 124 DEGREES. AT THE TIME OF
THE 124 DEGREE READING...THE DEWPOINT WAS 74 DEGREES...CREATING A
HEAT INDEX OF 140 DEGREES.

MORE DATA WERE TAKEN IN THE AFTERNOON...NEAR THE TIME OF PEAK
HEATING. USING THE AIR CONDITIONER TO COOL THE VEHICLE DOWN
TO 92 DEGREES...OR JUST BELOW THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE OF 94
DEGREES...THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN SHUT OFF. THIS TIME...THE FRONT
WINDOWS WERE LEFT DOWN APPROXIMATELY THREE INCHES. IN A MERE 12
MINUTES...THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE VEHICLE HAD REACHED 103 DEGREES.
BY THE 75 MINUTE MARK...THE TEMPERATURE WAS 120 DEGREES. AS ONE CAN
SEE...LOWERING THE WINDOWS HAS LITTLE IMPACT ON DANGEROUS HEAT
BUILDUP INSIDE PARKED VEHICLES.

HERE ARE THE RESULTS OF WHAT WAS OBSERVED FOR BOTH SAMPLE SETS. ALL
TEMPERATURES ARE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. TIME IS EASTERN DAYLIGHT
TIME.

WITH WINDOWS CLOSED
TIME     INTERIOR TEMPERATURE     AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
1135     84                       88
1150     91                       91
1205     99                       89
1210     100                      90
1232     108                      90
1250     112                      91
1315     116                      92
1330     119                      92
1345     121                      93
1405     124 (HEAT INDEX 140)     92

WITH WINDOWS CRACKED
TIME     INTERIOR TEMPERATURE     AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
1435     92                       94
1447     103                      93
1457     108                      94
1520     114                      94
1530     116                      94
1600     120                      94

THUS...WHEN HOT TEMPERATURES OCCUR...IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE
THAT CHILDREN OR PETS NOT BE LEFT IN PARKED VEHICLES...EVEN FOR
SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. AS THIS UNSCIENTIFIC STUDY SHOWS...
TEMPERATURES CAN REACH DANGEROUS LEVELS WITHIN MINUTES.

NIELD