Local Health Officials Urge Residents to Check on Older Adults as Heat Advisory Extends

The Pasadena Public Health Department is urging residents to check on older neighbors, relatives and friends as a National Weather Service Heat Advisory now stretches into a second week, with temperatures in the city forecast to remain above normal through at least Tuesday, July 14.

The city’s Public Health Department issued a social media advisory this week specifically targeting protections for older adults — a group that bears a disproportionate share of heat-related deaths nationally.

The graphic, posted on the City of Pasadena’s Facebook page, directs residents to ensure that seniors in their lives are drinking enough water, have access to air conditioning, and are wearing light clothing. If someone shows signs of heat-related illness, the department says, call 911.

The advisory points residents to HeatReady.ca.gov, California’s statewide heat safety resource, for additional guidance.

The heat has been building since July 7, when the National Weather Service placed Pasadena, Altadena and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley under a Heat Advisory.

The advisory was initially set to expire Friday but has since been extended through Tuesday, according to an updated statement from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The National Weather Service forecast a high near 96 degrees in Pasadena on Thursday, with overnight lows around 62 — warm enough to limit the body’s ability to recover during sleep, a factor health officials say is especially dangerous for older adults.

Forecasters expect highs to ease into the upper 80s over the weekend before climbing again early next week, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

The warning carries particular weight in Altadena, where many residents displaced by the January 2025 Eaton Fire remain in temporary housing that may lack reliable air conditioning. Across Pasadena, nearly 24,000 seniors live in the city — roughly one in six residents, according to population estimates.

Nationally, adults 85 and older die from heat-related causes at a rate more than 100 times that of children ages 5 to 14, according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. More than 80 percent of heat-related fatalities each year are adults over 60, according to the Center for American Progress.

Heat kills more Americans annually than floods, storms and lightning combined, Dr. Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County health officer, said in the county’s press release. Those most likely to become ill during the heat include older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes and people with chronic medical conditions, Davis said.

Residents showing a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, confusion, a rapid pulse, dizziness, nausea or hot, dry skin need emergency medical attention, according to the county health department. The department urges residents to call 911 immediately if they see those symptoms in anyone.

Pasadena’s public library branches, while not official cooling centers, offer air-conditioned space during regular hours. Branch hours are available at PasadenaPublicLibrary.net.

Pasadena Dial-A-Ride members who need transportation to a cooling location can schedule a ride by calling (626) 791-7200. Pasadena Transit bus routes also serve the city’s community centers and libraries.

Countywide, residents can find the nearest cooling center, splash pad or pool by visiting ready.lacounty.gov/heat or calling 211.

City pools offer another option: the John J. Kennedy Pool at 1081 North Fair Oaks Avenue, (626) 744-7330, and the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center at 360 North Arroyo Boulevard, (626) 564-0330. La Pintoresca Park Splash Pad at 45 East Washington Boulevard is open from sunrise to sunset.

Additional heat safety resources are available at the city’s Extreme Weather Portal at CityOfPasadena.net/extreme-weather-portal. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts through the Pasadena Local Emergency Alert System at CityOfPasadena.net/Fire/PLEAS.

Even after the Heat Advisory lifts, the National Weather Service is expected to convert it to an Extreme Heat Watch through Thursday, July 16, according to forecasters, meaning above-normal temperatures could persist into the following week.