RTC, Three Square help bus riders cool off with ‘chill stations’

Beads of sweat formed on Brenda Jones’ brow as soon as she stepped off a bus Thursday morning at Bonneville Transit Station in downtown Las Vegas.

And it wasn’t because she was nervous about heading to a job interview.

With record-breaking temperatures soaring to 115 degrees in the Las Vegas Valley, Jones welcomed the free bottle of cold water distributed by Three Square food bank and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.

“That’s a fantastic thing they’re doing,” the 30-year-old Las Vegas woman said Thursday. “I could really use it right now.”

Teams of RTC workers reached into ice chests and handed out 5,000 chilled water bottles at the Bonneville Transit Station and four other bus stops throughout the valley.

The effort was part of a campaign aimed at reminding transit riders to stay hydrated, stay out of the sun and regularly apply sunscreen this summer.

The water giveaway couldn’t have been more timely.

Thursday’s high of 115 degrees broke the previous 114-degree record for the date, set in 1995, said Andy Gorelow, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service. While this month is shaping up to be the sixth hottest July on record, the 58-day period between June 1 and July 29 is the hottest on record for that window of time, Gorelow said.

Ben Little, a 50-year-old Las Vegas resident, expressed his appreciation as he took a sip of water.

“I think it will help keep people from passing out here,” Little said. “I couldn’t walk around here without water.”

Dan Williams, chief operating officer for Three Square, said the event also helped shine a light on hunger issues. The agency distributed more than 40 million pounds of food during the last fiscal year, feeding about 140,000 people each month.

“When people aren’t consuming the right foods, then they probably aren’t consuming fresh water, either,” Williams said. “It really is a health issue for everyone.”

On Thursday, the overnight low temperature also reached a record-breaking 91 degrees, breaking the previous record of 90 degrees for the date, set in 2009, the weather service said.

An excessive heat warning is in effect throughout the region until 8 p.m. Friday.

Thunderstorms are possible around the outskirts of the valley, and Las Vegas can expect a 20 percent chance of rain from Saturday to Tuesday, helping to bring cooler temperatures, according to the weather service. Highs temperatures forecast this weekend are 112 degrees on Friday, 107 on Saturday and 102 on Sunday.

At least five more summertime “chill stations” are planned:

■ 2 p.m. Monday at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Craig Road in North Las Vegas;

■ 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cheyenne and Mary Dee avenues in North Las Vegas;

■ 2 p.m. Thursday at Civic Center Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard in North Las Vegas;

■ 2 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Bonneville Transit Station, 101 E. Bonneville Avenue in Las Vegas; and

■ 4 p.m. Aug. 10 at Lake Mead Boulevard and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Las Vegas.

Review-Journal writer Max Michor contributed to this report. Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.