CPP students sweat through the start of the semester
By Madison Slocum-Juarez, September 8, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona students faced temperatures reaching 104 degrees the first full week of fall semester, according to an extreme heat warning from the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service issued the extreme heat warning for the area through Aug. 28. They forecasted highs temperatures up to 104 degrees, with nighttime lows of around 80 degrees.
With much of CPP’s campus located outdoors, the heat made students’ walks between parking lots and classes more difficult. CPP also canceled outdoor events such as “Meet the Greeks” because of the heat.
“The sun feels like it’s hugging you and not just blaring down on you, but like you’re in a sauna,” sociology student Andrea Urena said.
According to the National Weather Service website, a heatwave is a period of abnormally hot weather lasting more than two days and covering a large area while exposing a high number of people to hazardous heat. This can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses like dehydration, exhaustion and heat stroke.
Applied math and statistics masters student, Lankinda Abeysinghe, who has not been on campus since 2020, said he does not remember experiencing similar temperatures during the beginning of the fall semester.
“104 degrees itself isn’t unheard of in Pomona, but the timing of this heat wave at the beginning of the semester is unusual,” said associate professor of biological sciences Jayson Smith.
As average temperatures rise due to climate change, the risk of heat waves and record-breaking temperatures increases, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
But extreme heat in urban areas like Pomona is more common due to the amount of concrete and limited vegetation and shade, according to Smith.
“A single heat wave doesn’t mean there was climate change,” Smith said. “Scientists look at long-term patterns rather than pointing to one heat wave, storm or El Niño event and declaring it the result of climate change.”
Smith said Pomona could reduce heat and naturally cool buildings and the surrounding environment by increasing vegetation and using green roofs. He also said communities should prepare for heat-related issues, such as reduced water availability, electricity disruptions and brownouts, which are periods of reduced electricity power caused by high demand, according to Merriam-Webster.
CPP offers 41 hydration stations across campus, according to its website, which also shows locations of each station.
CPP also has a Heat Illness Prevention Program for employees who work outside for a sizable portion of their shifts. The program “establishes the requirements for the prevention, treatment and response for outdoor heat illness.”
The program applies to employees in departments including Landscape Services, field workers in Horticulture Plant and Soil Sciences, coaches in athletics and kinesiology and parking officers in Parking and Transportation Services, according to the website.
Extreme heat is not the only weather concern this year. Toward the end of 2026, an El Niño is predicted to run through early 2027, according to World Meteorological Organization.
An El Niño is a complex weather pattern resulting from variations in ocean temperatures, according to the National Ocean Service. Heavy rain and flooding should be expected.
Feature photo courtesy of Reece Kimes