Mapping the urban heat island

Feeling the heat in your neighborhood? Help collect data on urban heat 

Be a “street scientist” and help discover which areas of your community are hottest during extreme heat. Hennepin and Ramsey counties are seeking volunteer community scientists to gather data as part of NOAA’s 2024 Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign

Get involved

The mapping project is planned for Saturday, July 27. The date is subject to change based on weather conditions. 

Fill out the urban heat island mapping volunteer interest form to get updates on the project and how to get involved. 

Volunteers will receive a $25 pre-paid debit card as a thanks for their efforts.

How it works

Using heat sensors mounted on their cars, volunteer community scientists will traverse designated routes in the morning, afternoon, and evening on one of the hottest days of the year. The sensors will record temperature, humidity, time, and location.

See the frequently asked questions below for more information.

Using the data to protect people

Data collected by volunteers, paired with community engagement, analysis, and modeling, will:

• Help us better understand urban heat islands, which are urban areas where the temperature can be significantly higher than in nearby rural areas or large green spaces due to more concrete and other impermeable surfaces that radiate heat along with less tree canopy and greenspace to mitigate the heat.
• Allow communities to develop hyper-local descriptions of where the hottest parts of their neighborhoods.
• Inform strategies to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat and provide cooling relief for those living in the hottest areas.

Contact

For more information, contact urbanheat@hennepin.us

Get information on the urban heat island study in Ramsey County.

Frequently asked questions about volunteering

What will volunteers do?

Volunteers will drive predetermined routes over three separate one-hour periods during a hot day. Volunteers will use a simple data-collection device attached to the window of the vehicle. Both volunteer drivers and navigators are needed.

Are there any requirements to volunteer?

All volunteers will be asked to attend a one-hour volunteer training session, complete a short knowledge quiz, and sign a liability waiver. If you volunteer as a driver, you will need a valid driver’s license, auto insurance, and access to a vehicle.

Can I volunteer if I don’t have a car or can’t drive?

Yes! You can volunteer as a navigator and ride in another volunteer’s vehicle. Every vehicle will have one driver and one navigator, so there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to participate.

Can I use a bike to collect data?

Bicycles have been used to collect data in some cities in past urban heat island mapping studies, but there were issues with data quality. Because of that, the Hennepin-Ramsey County study can only use vehicles to collect data. The project team is exploring options of providing electric vehicles through car-sharing services and using electric vehicles from the county’s fleet.  

What is the time commitment?

On the mapping day, data will be collected over three separate one-hour periods: 6 to 7 a.m., 3 to 4 p.m., and 7 to 8 p.m. In addition to the three hours of data collection, all volunteers will first be asked to attend a one-hour volunteer training session, complete a short knowledge quiz, and sign a liability waiver.

Based on previous campaigns, volunteers will spend a total of 4 to 6 hours, with the majority of time (about 3.5 hours) occurring on the mapping day.

Do I have to do all three one-hour study periods?

We need the same number of people for each of the three one-hour study periods, so we will try to find as many people as possible who can do all of them. We are also accepting volunteers who can only participate for one or two of the study periods.

Since the mapping project date is subject to change based on weather, how will I know if the date changes?

All volunteers will receive weekly email communications about the project, and we will use those emails to communicate any date changes.

When and where is the training?

Two virtual training are planned:

• Wednesday, July 10 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, July 16th at 6 p.m.

Information about how to access the virtual training will be shared in the volunteer email. A recording will be available for anyone who cannot attend these sessions.

Where do I go the morning of the event?

Information about where to meet on the day of the event will be shared in the volunteer email.

Will I be taking measurements near where I live?

We will take location into account when we assign routes, but we cannot guarantee the ability to match volunteers to routes near their home or work because we may have more volunteers from some areas than others.

Where do I return the sensor at the end of the day?

Volunteers should return the sensor to the same location they picked it up from in the morning. Please return sensors by 9:00 p.m.

Where will data be collected?

The urban heat island mapping study area covers over 400 square miles including all of Ramsey County (170 square miles) and about one third of Hennepin County (230 square miles). Since Hennepin County is so large, the study is focused on the eastern, more urbanized part of the county where we know heat and heat islands are a bigger issue. The study area is outline on the map below.