Town Manager’s Office 230 Main Street Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251–8151 FAX (802) 257–2322
PRESS RELEASE
TO: Local Media Date: April 14, 2022
From: Planning Office
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For Immediate Release:
What are those funny boxes that appeared downtown and elsewhere?
Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather related death in the United States, a problem that can affect urban and rural communities across the country including in northern climates. To better understand the variability and magnitude of extreme heat in Vermont communities, faculty in the UVM Transportation Research Center (TRC), with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), are leading a research effort to collect heat variability data in towns and cities across the state during the summer of 2022.
Within Brattleboro specifically, passive weather stations, consisting of a solar radiation shield and a temperature and relative humidity sensor, have been installed in select locations from May through September. These local locations include in the Downtown area, near Living Memorial Park, and in a residential neighborhood setting. The research team will collect additional data in target communities using instrumented bicycles on hot days throughout the summer. A state wide survey will later be administered in July and August by UVM researchers.
If you have further questions about the research or its implications, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the project team: Dr. Elizabeth Doran, elizabeth.doran@uvm.edu, or Dr. Greg Rowangould, greg.rowangould@uvm.edu.
Sensor (Onset HOBO MX2301A Outdoor Bluetooth Temperature/Humidity Data Logger) is installed inside a solar radiation shield that is mounted appropriately to available mounting point at approximately 2–3m height (6–9 ft).
Example installations on street sign (with bolts) and to a traffic signal pole (with heavy duty zip ties).
