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Heat watch study reveals local hot spots and climate vulnerabilities across 10 cities

A new study, recently published in , highlights how extreme heat affects neighborhoods across Virginia, revealing stark disparities in temperature exposure linked to race, income, and tree cover.

The Virginia Heat Watch initiative is the largest study of its kind in the Commonwealth. The research team included researchers from 12 colleges and universities across the state, who coordinated over 200 community volunteers to collect more than 490,000 temperature readings during a single high-heat day in July 2021. The new publication, led by Todd Lookingbill, professor of geography, environment, & sustainability at the University of Richmond, includes high-resolution maps of heat exposure in 10 small- to mid-sized cities, from Virginia Beach to Abingdon.

The data revealed temperature differences within cities of up to 8.3°C (15°F), with the hottest areas often located in neighborhoods with the following conditions:

• less tree cover;
• more impervious surfaces (areas that do not allow water to penetrate the ground, including pavements, rooftops, and structures);
• and higher proportions of people of color who have been historically subjected to policies such as redlining (the practice of denying financial services to residents based on race or ethnicity).

The study's key findings include:

• Neighborhoods with more trees were significantly cooler; for every 10% increase in tree cover, temperatures dropped an average of 0.28°C.
• In many cities, redlined or low-income neighborhoods were consistently hotter than others.
• Local environmental risks often overlapped: areas already burdened by poor air quality or limited food access were also among the hottest.

"Urban heat is not just a big-city problem," said Lookingbill. "Our research shows that heat disparities exist even in smaller communities, and they disproportionately affect Virginia's most vulnerable residents."

The project's community-based approach engaged students, residents, and local governments, generating actionable data that has already led to new greening and cooling strategies in several cities.

"This is climate science in action," said study co-author Karin Warren of Randolph College in Lynchburg. "We're not only identifying where the need is greatest but also helping to build the capacity for communities to respond."