CalHeatScore
About the Tool
The California Communities Extreme Heat Scoring System (CalHeatScore) is designed to help Californians stay healthy when temperatures rise by:
Forecasting upcoming heat waves
Helping people prepare and plan for extreme heat events
Providing information about local resources
CalHeatScore, developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), uses historical climate, forecasted weather, and health data to score heat events based on their intensity and potential health impacts. Every day, CalHeatScore creates an easy-to-understand scale of 0 to 4 for all ZIP codes in California to communicate heat risks. CalHeatScore also connects people to locally relevant resources, such as cooling centers, so that they can be prepared when dangerous heat occurs.
Schedule
Upcoming Meetings:
January 28
CalHeatScore Webinar #5: Training Materials and Resources for Users
March 4
CalHeatScore Webinar #6: Looking Ahead to Summer 2026
Past Meetings:
June 12
CalHeatScore Webinar 1: Introduction to CalHeatScore
Password: 5K7y4$uv
July 16
CalHeatScore User Cohort Informational Meeting
July 24
CalHeatScore Webinar 2: Heat Warning Systems & CalHeatScore Development
November 12
CalHeatScore Webinar 4: CalHeatScore as an Extreme Heat Planning Resource
Password: %VAe=@Y6
October 15
CalHeatScore Webinar 3: State Agency Partners & Review
Password: *CT43s@W
Password: jJ^xk2Hs
Cohort Consultation
From July-October 2025, we gathered feedback on the CalHeatScore Tool by working with community experts who provided local knowledge and recommendations to improve the tool and enable its use within communities most vulnerable to heat. The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation is incorporating this feedback into a User Guide that provides general guidance to accompany the use of the CalHeatScore tool.
The Cohort-based Consultation focused on three groups who may be highly vulnerable to heat illness:
Outdoor & Warehouse Workers
Older Adults
California Native Tribes
Project Funder and Partners
LARC is working with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) to create a space for community experts to share ideas on how CalHeatScore can be improved and be integrated into existing extreme heat and public health practices.
The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation is a research center that informs effective and equitable environmental policy. It is developing a heat warning system guide, which will incorporate findings from the user cohorts. This guide will serve as the basis for training future users.
