Heat wave cancels high school sports, forces schools without AC to find cooling solutions

SPOKANE, Wash. – Extreme heat forced the cancellation of high school girls soccer matches Tuesday night, as temperatures on turf fields soared well above safe playing conditions.

The season opener between Ferris and Coeur d’Alene High School was canceled at One Spokane Stadium, along with Wednesday’s scheduled game between Rogers and Kettle Falls. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association cancels all outdoor activities when the heat index reaches 105 degrees or higher.

Turf fields present particular challenges during heat waves, as artificial surfaces can become significantly hotter than natural grass.

“Turf can sometimes 120 or 130 degrees and so automatically, by being on grass that’s been watered can significantly reduce that ‘feel-like’ temperature,” said Dr. Ryan Baker from Shriners Children’s Hospitals.

Baker, who heads the sports medicine program working with Spokane Public Schools, said the extreme conditions are forcing adjustments to football and girls soccer practices throughout the week. The WIAA has established multiple heat index thresholds for limiting or canceling athletic activities to protect student athletes.

Safety protocols include removing unnecessary equipment during practices and moving activities indoors when possible.

“Adjusting practices and making sure that equipment that’s not needed isn’t on. So football pads or even catcher pads and those sort of things,” Baker explained.

However, moving practices inside presents challenges for schools without air conditioning. Four schools in the Spokane Public Schools district still lack cooling systems, creating difficult conditions for both athletics and regular classroom instruction.

At Madison Elementary, some classrooms reached 85 degrees Tuesday as teachers struggled to keep students comfortable. Principal Heather Holter said staff worked with maintenance crews to find solutions.

“That’s where administration worked with maintenance, and we all came up with some different ideas. We had some fans but we thought a few more fans could make a difference in moving some of that air around,” Holter said.

Some teachers brought personal portable air conditioners and fans to help cool their classrooms. The school has been rotating classes into portable buildings that do have air conditioning and allowing students to spend time outdoors in shaded areas at adjacent Franklin Park.