Las Virgenes Unified School District
Hot Weather Guidelines for Schools
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most healthy children and adolescents can safely
participate in outdoor physical activities in warm to hot weather conditions, as long as appropriate
preparation, modifications, and monitoring are provided. It is recommended that schools:
• Provide and promote consumption of fluids
• Modify physical activity when necessary by reducing duration or intensity of activity, increasing
the frequency or duration of breaks, or rescheduling to a cooler time
• Limit strenuous activity outdoors, especially during the peak sunlight hours (10 am - 3 pm)
• Provide adequate recovery time between games or same-day sessions
• Limit physical activity participation of students who were recently ill
• Closely monitor students for signs of developing heat illness
• Check regularly on young children and those students that are physically challenged or have
chronic illnesses
Prevention of Heat Illnesses
The best management of heat related illness is prevention.
• Encourage the student/athletes to hydrate prior to the start of any and all activity.
• Allow student/athletes frequent periods of rest and hydration during activities.
• Allow unrestricted fluid replacement; encourage fluids before, during and after activity.
• Encourage adequate rehydration has occurred prior to next session.
• Gradually increase activity in the heat over a period of 7-10 days to allow adequate acclimatization.
• Allow the students / athletes to wear light-weighted, light-colored clothing.
• Encourage the students / athletes to protect themselves from sun exposure (use the sun screen often).
• Schedule the before/after school activities at the coolest time of day.
• Routinely perform mandatory temperature and humidity readings on playing surfaces (indoor/outdoor).
• Routinely monitor changing weather conditions with close attention to temperature and humidity on
playing surfaces (indoor/outdoor).
• Strongly consider postponing or canceling activities for extreme heat and humidity conditions.
• Implement protocol with site administrators when dealing with health related heat illnesses
• Be proactive and preventative, rather than reactive and issuing medical treatments
• Coaches/Teachers/Staff should highly consider ice towels in their school procedures
• Hydration and caloric intake is a 24 hour process (remind students- everything counts)
Heat-Related Illness: Signs and Symptoms
Heat Cramps: usually result from heavy exertion during extreme heat, mostly affecting children or
adolescents who sweat heavily, depleting their bodies of fluid. Although cramps are the least severe of
heat-related problems, they are an early signal that the body is having trouble coping with heat.
• Symptoms: muscular pains and spasms, usually in the stomach, arms or leg muscles
• Treatment: move to a cooler location; apply firm pressure to cramping muscles or gently
massage to relieve spasm; give sips of water (discontinue if nausea occurs); seek medical
attention if cramping continues after one hour
Heat Exhaustion: body’s response to excessive loss of water and salt contained in sweat.
• Symptoms: heavy sweating; weakness; cold, pale, clammy skin; fast, weak pulse; nausea or
vomiting; fainting; rapid, shallow breathing
• Treatment: move to a cooler location; lie down and loosen clothing; apply cool, wet cloths to as
much of the body as possible; sip water; seek medical attention if vomiting occurs and it
continues
Heat Syncope (fainting): Often occurs as result of exposure to high temperatures, and an individual’s
ability to internally regulate temperature. Typically occurs during the first 5 days of acclimation to
physical activity in the heat. May also occur after a long period of standing after physical activity.
Symptoms: dehydration, fatigue, fainting, lightheadedness, tunnel vision, pale or sweaty skin,
decreased pulse rate
Treatment: Lie down in a cool place. Drink water, clear juice or a sports drink. Seek medical
attention if symptoms do not improve.
Heatstroke: potentially deadly condition in which the body cannot thermo-regulate itself. Body
temperature may rise to 105° F or higher within 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, sweating is inadequate, so
body heat is retained.
• Symptoms: high body temperature (above 103° F); hot, red, dry, or moist skin; rapid and strong
pulse; possible unconsciousness; confusion; throbbing headache, nausea or dizziness
• Treatment: call 911 (this is a medical emergency); move to a cooler location; reduce body
temperature using cool cloths or a bath; do NOT give fluids
Hydration Guidelines
• Two to three hours before exercise drink 17-20 ounces of water
• Ten to twenty minutes before exercise drink 7-10 ounces of water
• Continue drinking water throughout exercise (generally 7-10 ounces every 10-20 min)
• After exercise, within 2 hours, drink enough fluid to replace lost fluids during exercise
• Do not drink fruit juice, carbohydrate gels, sodas, carbonated sport drinks, 8% Carbohydrate level
drinks, and drinks with caffeine, alcohol, or carbonation
• Avoid soft drinks and juice during play, high carbs may cause stomach problems
• Feeling thirsty is too late and the beginning stage of dehydration has set in.
• Students ages 5 to 13, must be encouraged to intake only water during their day at school.
Activity Guidelines
Activity should be altered and or eliminated based on the Heat Index as follows:
Under 95 degrees: All Sports and activities are acceptable. Teacher/Coach must provide ample amounts
of water. This means that water should always be available at regular intervals and students/athletes
should be able to take in as much water as they desire. Optional and additional water breaks should be
approximately every 30 - 45 minutes for approximately ten minutes. Monitor student/athletes carefully for
necessary action.
*Contact Sport/Activities With Additional Equipment: Helmets/other equipment should be removed if
not involved in contact or necessary for safety. Consider moving practice to morning or later in the day
and also duration of practice time. Re-check temperature and heat index approximately every 30 minutes
to monitor for increased risks.
96 to 99 degrees: All Sports and activities are acceptable, but the heat index can rise and there should be
considerations due to environment (i.e. blacktop or non-conditioned gym). Teacher/Coach must provide
ample amounts of water. This means that water should always be available at regular intervals and
students/athletes should be able to take in as much water as they desire. Optional and additional water
breaks should be approximately every 30 - 45 minutes for approximately ten minutes. Monitor
student/athletes carefully for necessary action.
*Contact Sport/Activities With Additional Equipment: Helmets/other equipment should be removed if
not involved in contact or necessary for safety. Consider moving practice to morning or later in the day
and also duration of practice time. Re-check temperature and heat index approximately every 30 minutes
to monitor for increased risks.
100 to 105 degrees: All Sports and activities are acceptable, however outside activities are not suggested.
Indoor activities are highly recommended if air-cooling system is operable. If not operable, check
temperature in indoor facility. Re-check temperature and heat index approximately every 30 minutes to
monitor for increased risks. Teacher/Coach must provide ample amounts of water. This means that water
should always be available at regular intervals and students/athletes should be able to take in as much
water as they desire. Optional and additional water breaks should be approximately every 30 - 45 minutes
for approximately ten minutes. Monitor student/athletes carefully for necessary action. Alter uniforms by
removing items where feasible and allow for changes to dry T-shirts and shorts.
*Contact Sport/Activities With Additional Equipment: It is not recommended to perform non-water
outside activities. Helmets/other equipment should be removed if not involved in contact or necessary for safety.
Consider moving practice to morning or later in the day and also duration of practice time. Re-check temperature
and heat index approximately every 30 minutes to monitor for increased risks.
Over 105 degrees: All Sports and activities outside are to be stopped and are not acceptable or permitted.
Indoor activities are highly recommended if air-cooling system is operable. If not operable, cease all
indoor and outdoor activity.
| Degrees of Tempurature | Heat w/no additional variables | Heat with additional variables |
| 80-84 | OK | OK |
| 85-89 | OK | CAUTION |
| 90-94 | OK | DANGEROUS |
| 95-99 | CAUTION | NOT ACCEPTABLE |
| 100-104 | DANGEROUS | NOT ACCEPTABLE |
| 105+ | NOT ACCEPTABLE | DANGEROUS |
• Appropriate decisions will be made from the classroom teacher/coach up to the Athletic
Director/Department Chair, with final decisions made by Principal or Assistant Principal.
• Variables of weather include but not limited to: smog, humidity, heat index, winds, fires,
pollution, global warnings, inclement settings, natural disasters, etc.
Heat Related Terms
Heat Wave: More than 40 - 48 hours of high heat (90 degrees and higher) and/or high humidity (80
percent relative humidity) are expected.
Heat Index: A numerical value in degrees Fahrenheit, which specifically informs us, how hot it really
“feels” like with the heat and humidity together. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by
12 – 15+ degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature and heat index readings for individual locations may be found
at www.weather.com.
Heat Illness: An individual’s natural cooling system beginning to fail, allowing internal body heat to
build up to dangerous levels. The result may be heat illness, which can come in the form of heat cramps,
heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). (2011). Policy statement - Climatic heat stress and exercising
children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 128(3), e741 - e747. Retrieved from
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/3/e741.full
Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Tips for preventing heat-related illness. Retrieved from
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heattips.asp
City of Agoura Hills. (2013). LA County heat alert tips and cooling centers. Retrieved from
http://www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=36&recordid=807&returnURL=%2Findex.aspx
Orange County Department of Education & Orange County Health Care Agency. (n.d.) Hot weather
guidelines for schools. Retrieved from
http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/downloads/Hot_Weather_Guidelines_for_Schools.pdf
Orange County Department of Education & Orange County Health Care Agency. (n.d.) Hot weather
guidelines for athletic practice. Retrieved from
http://www.ocde.us/Emergency/PublishingImages/Hot-Weather-Guidelines-for-Athletic-Practice.pdf
Revised 10/2014