Cooling shelters open across Vermont ahead of heat wave

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – We may be a few days away from the official start of summer but heat wave safety preparations are already underway.

More than 60 million Americans will have to deal with high heat in the coming days and our region is among them.

In Burlington, neighborhood cooling centers open on Tuesday and will stay open through Friday. Some of those include Fletcher Free Library, City Hall, the Public Works Department and Leddy Arena.

Montpelier is offering spots to cool off as well, like the Kellogg-Hubbard Library or City Hall’s council chambers.

A number of cities and towns across the state are offering these services, too.

Vermont Electric Cooperative is among utilities urging customers to avoid use of major appliances during times of peak demand between 6 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.