Assessing the Microclimate of an Outdoor Concert Pavilion in Order to Mitigate Heat Stress

Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States according to the EPA. While we often communicate excessive heat risk on the county level (heat advisories and warnings), there can be significant variation in heat stress across small areas, especially within an urban landscape. Differences with sun exposure, winds, pavement or green spaces, etc... over even very small distances can provide significant variances in how heat ‘feels’. This work investigates the variability of heat stress within the microclimate of an outdoor pavilion located in The Woodlands, TX. The authors visited this location in late July and mid August 2023 to take measurements during a typical summer evening concert. We compare measurements of dry bulb temperature, Heat Index (HI), and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) during the late afternoon and evening hours at locations throughout the pavilion. These observations highlight heat stress differences across the microclimate of the pavilion and are compared to onsite cooling center incidents of Heat Related Illness (HRI). To highlight the importance of understanding the variability of heat stress conditions that exist throughout the pavilion, we compare where HRIs develop in the pavilion to our observed heat stress measurements. We examine heat messaging and mitigation strategies that could aid with preventing future HRIs at the pavilion, and also at other outdoor venues.