Reno Sparks Heat Mapping Project logo over a picture of the city of Reno.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project seeking volunteers for August 10

In an effort to better understand urban heat islands and their impacts on our region, a group of organizations, led by the Nevada State Climate Office, is seeking volunteers to track heat on August 10 for the Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project. Volunteers will set out in pairs to drive or navigate a predetermined route, equipped with a GPS-equipped temperature and humidity sensor that can be affixed to a volunteer’s car. The original project date was postponed due to unusually cool weather.

Reno Sparks Heat Mapping Project logo over a picture of the city of Reno.

Reno-Sparks Heat Mapping Project Now Recruiting Volunteers

Scientists from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the University of Nevada, Reno are recruiting volunteers to conduct a one-day campaign to map extreme heat across Washoe County on July 27. community volunteers will fan out across the county to collect thousands of temperature and humidity measurements from early morning through evening, taken over 3 one-hour periods.

air quality monitoring station in front of a fence with a blue sky in the background.

DRI Researchers Partner with NDEP to Prepare Rural Nevada Communities for a Smokier Future

In 2021, DRI researchers partnered with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to address the gap in air quality monitoring. Led by Kristin VanderMolen, Ph.D., assistant research professor of atmospheric science, a new study details how the research team designed custom air quality sensors and information materials for rural Nevada counties.