Arkansas spring can lull you into a false sense of security. Mild days, pleasant breezes, a hint of warm sunshine — it’s all glorious until it isn’t. Practically overnight, that gentle warmth transforms into a smothering blanket of humidity and unrelenting sun. There’s no denying it: Arkansas summers are downright HOT. But you don’t have to be miserable all summer long. With a few smart strategies, you can survive the summer heat in the Natural State, and you might even learn to love it.
Our family is a sun-up-to-sundown outdoors family, but it wasn’t always that way. If you’re familiar with my writing, you may remember that I’m originally from Vermont. When I first moved to Arkansas in 1996, I thought the heat might actually kill me! I’m not exaggerating — the first few Arkansas Julys felt like stepping into a furnace compared to Vermont’s crisp, mild summers.
The truth is, the heat here can be extremely dangerous. If you aren’t careful, you can end up with heat exhaustion, dehydration or even heat stroke — true medical emergencies that are no joke. So, how does a girl from Vermont come to enjoy being outside in the hottest part of summer? The answer is training.
We don’t just hit the outdoors in June and July — we’re outside all year round. This helps us to slowly adjust to seasonal temperature shifts, making those triple-digit heat index days a little more bearable. But acclimating is only part of the puzzle. Staying safe in Arkansas’s blazing summers takes a bit more intention. Here are a few of my best tips:
Tips for Staying Safe in the Summer Heat
Thriving in the Arkansas Summer
Once you’ve mastered staying safe, you can go beyond surviving and actually enjoy Arkansas in the summer, because let’s face it, summer is a beautiful time here…