Baltimore extends pool hours, opens cooling centers during heat alert
Baltimore opened cooling centers and stretched pool hours as a Code Red heat alert pushed heat index values past 110 degrees and shut down outdoor programs citywide.
Baltimore City Recreation & Parks extended pool hours and opened recreation centers as cooling sites as the Code Red Extreme Heat Alert pushed heat index values above 110 degrees and canceled outdoor programming citywide. The alert began Wednesday, July 1, and was set to run through Saturday, July 4.
All Park Pools and Neighborhood Pools were placed on an expanded schedule during the alert, and neighborhood pools that normally close on Sundays stayed open. All pools were free, but visitors needed a CivicRec account and did not have to reserve a specific time slot. Druid Hill Park Pool was scheduled to close at 4 p.m. Friday, July 3, for the Teen Pool Party.
Cooling centers opened at Herring Run Recreation Center, C.C. Jackson Recreation Center, Coldstream Recreation Center, Chick Webb Recreation Center, Morrell Park Recreation Center and Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Additional cooling hours were set for Friday from noon to 8 p.m. at Edgewood/Lyndhurst Recreation Center, Mora Crossman Recreation Center, Virginia S. Baker Recreation Center, Middle Branch Fitness & Wellness Center, Solo Gibbs Recreation Center, Woodhome Recreation Center and Cahill Recreation Center.
Baltimore’s Code Red season runs from May 15 through September 15, and a Code Red means a forecast heat index of 105 degrees or higher. The 2025 heat season brought 14 Code Red days and 8 heat-related deaths.
The greatest danger falls on older adults, infants and young children, pregnant people, outdoor workers, people experiencing homelessness and residents without air conditioning. Residents without electricity are especially vulnerable. Baltimore residents can call 311 for cooling-center locations and heat-safety guidance, and anyone facing a heat-related emergency should call 911.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott said the city was coordinating with the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management, the Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore City Recreation & Parks, the Department of Planning and the Enoch Pratt Free Library as part of its summer heat plan. The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services also coordinated water distribution for people experiencing homelessness during Code Red days.
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