Tucked into Southern California’s Inland Empire, Centennial High School in Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) operates in a climate that’s both deceptively close to the coast and relentlessly harsh during the late summer and early fall.
“It’s weird. If you look at a map, we’re not far from the beach,” says Brian Hill, Head Athletic Trainer at Centennial High School. “But we don’t get that ocean breeze. Our topography blocks it out—so August and September can be brutal.”
Southern California’s desert-like climate poses real heat safety risks for student-athletes, especially during peak conditioning periods. The situation became more complex when CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) rolled out mandatory Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) thresholds for athletic participation.
“Before that, we were just using the heat index from my phone—data pulled from the nearest airport, which is pretty far from us,” Brian explains. “That’s not helpful when it’s 10 degrees hotter on the field than what your phone says.”
Too Many Athletes. Too Many Kestrels. Not Enough Certainty.
When CIF’s Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) policy went into effect, the goal was simple: create a clear framework to protect athletes from heat stress.
But the rollout exposed a painful truth for athletic trainers: policy is only as effective as the tools you’ve got to enforce it.
“It was a blessing and a challenge,” Brian says. “Now I had concrete rules that told me when we could and couldn’t practice. But I also had 60 guys needing to get taped, 30 minutes before practice, and my AD’s asking, ‘Can we start JV at 3:00?’ I’m like, let me check the Kestrel… which is across the field.”
Athletic trainers were expected to make minute-by-minute decisions about whether to allow or modify practices based on real-time WBGT levels measured on site. And they were expected to log every reading.
The school initially relied on handheld Kestrel devices, which meant Brian had to physically walk out, take a reading, record it, and then repeat every 15 minutes.
“It was technically feasible,” Brian admits. “But not practical. Especially when I’m juggling 150 athletes across multiple fields and staggered schedules.”
To make matters worse, Kestrel readings often varied depending on location, timing, or who was holding the device. What was supposed to be a precise policy quickly devolved into a patchwork of readings and guesswork.
“One day I’ve got flag football practicing on the portable, varsity on the main field, and I’m trying to be in three places at once. If someone overheats, how do I prove we were in the safe zone? That’s a liability risk.”
It was a logistical nightmare that became unsustainable and, in Brian’s words, “a lot of running and a lot of hoping.”
That’s when Perry Weather stepped in.
Enter Perry Weather: On-Campus Monitoring that Works in Real Time
When CNUSD implemented Perry Weather, the shift was immediate.
“Now I’ve got a weather station that’s always watching. It gives us real-time WBGT, logs everything automatically, and it’s right there on our 800 building, so I know it’s accurate.”
The system sends automated alerts when conditions hit CIF’s orange or red zones, eliminating the guesswork, and the stress of trying to stay compliant manually.
“I used to wonder, ‘Am I reading this right? Am I late? Did I forget to record it?’ Now it’s all done for me,” Brian says. “I can pull the data anytime.”
A Single Source of Truth (Not 3 Kestrels and a Clipboard)
What sets Perry Weather apart from Kestrels, weather apps, and generic forecasting websites, is its ability to centralize weather monitoring, alerting, and reporting in a single, user-friendly platform.
“The difference is night and day,” Brian says. “With Perry Weather, I’ve got a unified dashboard. I’m not juggling different devices or questioning whose reading is right. We’ve got one source of truth.”
Instead of relying on Kestrel readings from multiple people across multiple fields, Hill now uses Perry Weather’s hyperlocal data for visibility, compliance, and accountability.
That unified view is especially important in the event of heat-related illness. With Perry Weather’s historical data archive, staff can trace back exactly what the WBGT levels were at the time of any incident, backed by time-stamped, location-specific records.
“If a girl overheats in flag, now we can look at Perry Weather and say, oh, look, we were in green or yellow. And so we’ve got that historical data.”
More Than Heat: AQI and Wildfire Visibility
In Southern California, heat isn’t the only weather concern. During wildfire season, air quality becomes just as urgent.
“Last year we had wildfires to the north, east, and southeast,” Brian recalls. “The AQI was so bad, we had to bus our football teams all the way to Garden Grove to practice.”
With Perry Weather, he now gets on-campus AQI readings, updated in real time and hyper-localized—far more precise than what he was getting from phone apps.
“Most apps pull from sensors miles away or estimate from ground level. Ours comes from right above the building. It’s local and reliable,” he explains. “I can make real decisions, not guesses.”
The Field Camera That’s Watching
One unexpected bonus? Perry Weather’s on-site field camera, mounted on the rooftop near the station.
“It lets me see who’s on the field at any time—whether it’s Saturday afternoon or right before a storm hits,” Brian says. “It’s helpful for accountability, safety, and just knowing what’s going on without having to walk out every time.”
From CIF Compliance Guesswork to Confidence
Since implementing Perry Weather, CNUSD’s approach to CIF compliance, heat policy enforcement, and weather-related risk management has evolved.
“Before, I was just hoping I got the timing right and that nobody questioned my notes. Now? We’re covered,” Brian says. “It’s all there—recorded, visible, defensible.”
He’s especially grateful for the system’s ability to scale across sports, surfaces, and time zones—without needing extra staff to manage it.
“I’ve got flag practicing at 3 PM and varsity at 5 PM. I can’t be in two places at once, but Perry Weather can.”
Why Perry Weather? Because Athlete Safety Shouldn’t Depend on Luck
Brian’s bottom line?
“Having a system that’s always communicating, always watching, and right on campus is a lifesaver.”
“Perry Weather is reliable, always-on, and built for how schools actually operate. It simplifies my job, protects our athletes, and helps us follow CIF policy without burning out.”
Whether you’re navigating CIF WBGT policies or making the call during wildfire season, Perry Weather gives you the tools to act with confidence.
With real-time weather and air quality monitoring, automated alerts, and historical logs you can trust, it’s built for schools that don’t have time for guesswork.
Try Perry Weather free for 14 days—and see how it simplifies compliance, protects your athletes, and gives you peace of mind during every season.
