Heat wave expected: How to beat heat in Dutchess County

Bob and Marie Straub can be found this weekend lounging on floats or swimming laps in their backyard pool.

Amid oppressive summer heat, which is only expected to intensify today, the LaGrange grandparents visited Mapleview Café in Poughkeepsie for lunch and the "best ice cream around," Bob Straub said.

The couple is determined to find ways to stay cool, and help their family and friends do the same.

“We invite our neighbors, their children and grandchildren over to the pool,” Bob Straub said. “What I really worry about is the less fortunate. who don’t have access to those things.”

Not everyone has a pool or air conditioning in which to wait out days that could feel like its hotter than 100 degrees in the mid-Hudson Valley. But, there are many ways to beat the heat available outside the home as well as in, from ice cream and water parks to movies and other entertainment.

The heat could also lead to health problems for some, especially the elderly and young children. The City of Poughkeepsie plans to open a cooling center today.

Straub said his plan is to stay in the pool and stay hydrated. 

Though the term "heat wave" is often thrown around, a true heat wave is at least three consecutive days of temperatures reaching into the 90s. That's what the region can expect Friday through Sunday, according to Joe Cebulko, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany.  

A heat advisory is in effect for the region from noon today to noon Saturday, which will be followed by an excessive heat warning until 8 p.m. Saturday, according to the weather service. Saturday is expected to be the hottest of the three days.

In Poughkeepsie, the high temperature is expected to be 93 degrees Friday, followed by 97 degrees Saturday and 96 Sunday. However, the heat index may make it feel like it is 105 on Friday and 110 on Sunday, according to the weather service.

"That is really high for this part of the country," Cebulko said about a dew point value expected in the 70s for the region.

Ways to stay safe in the heat 

Outdoor activities and prolonged time in the sun can be dangerous in the conditions expected this weekend, according to a release from MidHudson Regional Hospital.

“The weather becomes a cause for concern when temperatures and humidity remain elevated for three or four days or more, and the emergency department begins to see an increase in visits by people suffering from heat-related illness,” said Ivan Miller, director of emergency medicine, in the release.  

The hospital offered safety tips:  

• Limit your exposure to heat 
• Wear breathable, lightweight, light-colored clothing 
• Check on the elderly who may be unaware of their limitations or may spend too much time exposed due to slow movement 
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after outdoor activity 
• Avoid alcoholic beverages that can have the adverse effect on your body’s ability to regulate heat 

Many families stayed inside on Wednesday afternoon to escape the 90-degree weather. Yineiry Cruz and Vanessa Perry decided to head inside with their children for frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog in Poughkeepsie. The two friends and neighbors sat in the shop plotting ways to keep their kids cool and entertained through the weekend. 

“We just keep them in the air conditioning, bring them to get ice cream, and are constantly giving them water,” Cruz said.

Various cooling centers will be open throughout the City of Poughkeepsie for residents to head inside and escape the warm weather: 

• Public Safety Building, 505 Main St. — today and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
• Adriance Memorial Library, 93 Market St. — today and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.
• Salvation Army Poughkeepsie Corps Community Center, 19 Pershing Ave. — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. 

“Residents should take this seriously. Keep hydrated and please use one of the cooling centers if you need them,” Mayor Rob Rolison said.

Where to hideout from the heat  

Cruz and Perry said they plan spend a day at SplashDown Beach in Fishkill and the rest of the weekend visiting pools and local places with air conditioning.  

Some local areas in which to cool off include:  

• SplashDown Beach, Fishkill — The water park has 15 attractions with a four-story half-pipe to slide down and a lazy river for those who want to relax.  
• Bowdoin Park, Wappinger Falls — The park has a splash pad open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday for kids to enjoy while parents can take refuge in the shade.   
• Spratt Park Pool and Pulaski Pool, Poughkeepsie — Two pools located in the city are open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily.  
• Bounce Trampoline Sports, Poughkeepsie — The indoor amusement center is air conditioned with dodgeball and basketball trampoline courts for kids to cool off and get out some energy.
• The Kartrite, Thompson — A short drive outside of Dutchess County to the Catskills will bring you to the Kartrite, the largest indoor waterpark in New York with 11 water attractions and 318,000 gallons of water running through it.

The weather service recommends staying indoors when the heat index it at its highest from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.

Entertainment options

For those with a less active mindset, there's a wide range of movies to go to see, as well as a variety of streaming video selections from home.

The long-awaited live-action adaptation of Disney's "The Lion King" is hitting theaters today.

Other family-friendly options still in theaters include "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Toy Story 4," and "Aladdin," another Disney remake.

For the adults, thriller "Crawl," featuring enormous alligators; buddy-comedy Stuber, with Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista; and Beatles-inspired "Yesterday" were all among the top box office earners last weekend.

Netflix users can binge the latest season of "Stranger Things," if they haven't already since its July 4 release; or get caught up on other favorites like "Orange is the New Black" or "Glow," before their new seasons are released in the coming weeks.

Hulu members can do the same with "Veronica Mars," before its new season reviving the show is released next week.

Sweet, cool snacks

Maria Nathan, of Poughkeepsie, said she plans to stay indoors, since she doesn’t have a pool. She plans to go shopping and eat out in restaurants to keep cool and refreshed. 

The region features numerous frozen snack options, including some unique dishes:  

• Asian City, Poughkeepsie — This may be the only place downtown in the city that rolls ice cream Thai-style, also known as stir-fried ice cream.  
• Zora Dora’s Micro Batch Ice Cream and Paletas, Beacon — The Beacon spot offers some of the coolest and most refreshing flavors, using limes, chili, pineapple, peanut butter, banana, and chocolate.  
• Holy Cow Ice Cream, Red Hook — This old-school ice cream shop is a Dutchess  County staple situated just outside the quaint Village of Red Hook.  
• Sweet Frog, Poughkeepsie — The shop is a haven for residents to take a seat in the air conditioning and fill their cups with yogurt and a wide variety of toppings.  
• Mapleview Café, Poughkeepsie — The small café on Overlook Road has homemade ice cream with seating inside and outside for customers to have a bite to eat and cool off with a freshly made cone.

However, Mapleview Café's owner, Cristina Furey, said the warm weather is not always a guarantee for more customers

"When it’s really hot out we actually notice fewer customers will come by,” she said. “I am always working during the hot weather, so I make sure I stay inside with the air conditioning, drinking lots of water and eating fruits with lots of water.”

Katelyn Cordero: kcordero@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4870; Twitter: @KatelynCordero