Welcome to the Florida Weather Policy Guide, a handy resource for understanding the Florida High School Athletic Association’s (FHSAA) weather policies for athletics. We’ve made it simple: here’s the key information you need.
To keep students, youth and athletes safe, the following are required:
Florida mandates a 14-day heat acclimatization period for all fall sports before full practice begins, backed by state law. Dependent upon WBGT readings, practice modifications like rest breaks, equipment restrictions, practice length limits are enforced from the very first day of preseason not after acclimatization ends.
Coaches should progressively phase in conditioning periods during the first 7 to 14 days of practice to minimize the risk of injury during transition from off-season to in-season activity.
Cooling zones with CWI must be set up and operational at every practice session throughout acclimatization, not just once thresholds are crossed.
Coaches must always promote unrestricted access to water. A student-athlete shall never be denied access to water. Rest breaks must encourage unlimited hydration in shaded areas with no activity.
Never worry about having to set up tripods or do readings every 15 minutes during outdoor activities again. Perry Weather automatically monitors WBGT and records readings every 15 minutes, so you can ensure you’re in compliance without the hassle.
Perry Weather stations include a precise WBGT monitor with a large 3.5″ black bulb sensor, offering more reliable readings than smaller handheld devices.
Competing handheld devices are prone to inaccuracies due to factors like shadows and calibration errors. Perry Weather’s stationary unit minimizes these issues, ensuring consistent and dependable heat readings by eliminating human errors
For athletic trainers and directors prioritizing athlete safety, Perry Weather offers precise on-site wet bulb globe temperature monitoring.
Guide your coaches and staff in taking the right actions with hyper-local WBGT monitoring and alerts tailored to your heat stress policies.
Accurate WBGT offers a more precise understanding of real-world conditions than heat index, ensuring safety and informed decision-making for all outdoor activities.
Automatic WBGT measurements are instantly recorded and stored, ensuring you stay compliant without the tediousness and potential errors of traditional manual methods.
We translate data into practical steps based on heat stress policies and local regulations – from hydration reminders to activity adjustments, we ensure safety first.
Automatic instructive alerts and warnings are triggered based on your policies, keeping you compliant and confident in your decision-making so everyone on your staff knows what to do when WBGT levels are high.
Automated Warnings: Push notifications and text message alerts with automatic action instructions once WBGT threshold is breached
Custom Quiet Times: Pause notifications during weekends or nighttime, ensuring disturbance-free periods for when practices and games aren’t taking place
Configurable Settings: Configure specific user and warnings settings that fit your organization’s needs
Get heat and WBGT risk updates based on your policies, so you’re not caught by surprise and are able to adjust outdoor activities accordingly.
Set customized alerts to be notified when WBGT levels reach critical thresholds, ensuring timely action to protect athletes from heat-related illnesses.
Our team stays up-to-date on evolving state regulations to help schools and athletic trainers implement heat stress guidelines effectively.
The following guidelines are based on recommendations by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS):
Assign staff to monitor local weather conditions before and during practices and contests.
Develop an evacuation plan, including identification of appropriate nearby safer areas and determine the amount of time needed to get everyone to a designated safer area.
When thunder is heard or lightning is seen*, the leading edge of the thunderstorm is close enough to strike your location with lightning. Suspend play for at least 30 minutes and vacate the outdoor activity to the previously designated safer location immediately.
Once play has been suspended, wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard or lightning is witnessed* prior to resuming play.
Any subsequent thunder or lightning* after the beginning of the 30-minute count will reset the clock and another 30-minute count should begin.
Inform student-athletes and their parents of the lightning policy at start of the season.
Perry Weather’s lightning detection and alerts system gives you clear, actionable instructions aligned with your lightning safety policies.
We’ll notify you as soon as lightning is detected with automated alerts. We guide you through immediate actions, keeping your athletes safe and practices on track.
Automatic alerts and real-time data for informed decision-making during critical weather events.
Know exactly when it’s safe to step out after a lightning strike with Perry Weather’s lightning countdown timers.
When a lightning strike is detected nearby, Perry Weather initiates a countdown until given the all-clear and resuming outdoor activities.
The timer resets with each subsequent strike, ensuring adherence to lightning safety protocols before resuming activities
Stay a step ahead with advanced radar and predictive lightning risk management for confident event planning and adaptive scheduling.
Get custom PA alerts and audible alarms with our lightning warning system.
Instantly broadcast alerts and safety messages automatically across your campus – no matter the weather conditions.
Strobe lights, loud alarms, and text-to-speech make sure you won’t miss lightning alerts.
It works even during power outages, ensuring continuous safety without needing a direct power source.
The WBGT is a comprehensive measure that combines air temperature, relative humidity, radiant heat, and air movement to assess heat stress conditions. Read more about WBGT here.
Wet bulb globe temperature in a nutshell is a more in-depth heat stress measurement taking into account more of the environment (Direct sunlight, water vapor capacity, cloud coverage, etc.). Read more about the differences between WBGT and the heat index here.
Monitoring WBGT is essential for protecting athletes’ health and safety during outdoor practices, games, and events.
A higher WBGT reading leads to a greater risk of heat-related illnesses like heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and muscle cramps.
Heat acclimatization is your body’s way of adapting to hot environments.
By gradually increasing your workload or exposure time in hot conditions over 1-2 weeks, you can significantly improve your heat tolerance.
This reduces the risk of heat stress and allows you to perform better in hot weather.
There are two main ways heat illness can strike:
1. Classic Heat Illness: This is caused by your environment’s impact on your body’s ability to cool down. Think high temperatures, humidity, direct sun, and no breeze.
2. Exertional Heat Illness (EHI): This one focuses on your own internal heat production. It can happen even in mild weather if you push yourself too hard.
Wet bulb globe temperature involves measuring three temperatures: dry bulb, wet bulb, and globe. Read more here.
Imagine heat stress as a warning light on your body’s dashboard. If heat stress isn’t addressed, it can progress to heat illness. This is a medical emergency where the body can no longer cool itself down effectively. It can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Read more here.
To measure WBGT, use a scientifically approved WBGT meter. The best way to measure it is by using Perry Weather’s advanced weather monitoring platform.
A safe shelter is any frequently inhabited building with four solid walls (not a dugout), electrical and telephone wiring, and plumbing, which aid in grounding the structure.
Yes. Lightning victims do not carry a residual electrical charge. However, prioritize checking for injuries and call emergency services immediately.
Responsibilities may vary, but typically coaches, athletic trainers, and officials share the responsibility for monitoring weather conditions and enforcing safety procedures.
Some policies allow for designated “safe havens” under sturdy structures like bleachers (away from metal supports) or inside enclosed vehicles with the windows rolled up. However, this is a last resort.
Watch how schools across Florida are using Perry Weather to comply with state weather policies and keep their campuses safe.
