SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — With heat advisories in effect across the Beehive State, Salt Lake County has opened additional Cool Zones with extended weekend hours to help Utahns beat the heat.
Cool Zones are public spaces designated for people to cool off from the heat. According to Eric Biggart, the communication director for the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office, users “don’t have to prove anything unless you’re just hot.”
Biggart elaborated that centers are primarily meant for the vulnerable, such as kids, the elderly and the unhoused, but they can also be used by folks who are victims of power outages or simply don’t want to run air conditioning all day.
Hot weekend ahead with record-breaking temperatures likely
Typically, centers include places like libraries, which are free for all; homeless centers; senior centers, which are free for those over 60; and recreation centers, whose amenities cost money without a pass. This weekend, however, rec centers will have free areas in their lobbies dedicated to cooling, and the hours at places that usually close on Sundays are being extended to seven days a week…