As the most severe heat wave of the season grips the Northeast, Nassau Street's freshly paved surface doesn't seem so sturdy anymore.
If you listen closely, you can almost hear the pavement sticking to the soles of your shoes.
With the mercury hovering near 100 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, breaking records throughout the state, there were warnings for those most at risk for injury as summer makes its presence known.
An excessive heat warning that remained in effect until 9 p.m. Tuesday night was issued by the National Weather Service, forecasting heat indices over 100 degrees, when combined with the level of humidity.
Witness the parking lot outside the Community Park Pool Monday evening and it's clear where the coolest place in town was, but this latest bout of summer swelter caused worry among the youngest and oldest residents alike.
On Tuesday, the Princeton Recreation Department moved its Girls Basketball League inside John Witherspoon Middle School. On Monday, the Boys League was also held indoors at the Middle School.
"We are very concerned, and the options we have are not wildly imaginative," said Jack Roberts, executive director of the Recreation Department. "We're maintaining low-activity events, encouraging our day camp to spend a longer period of time at the pool during the lunch hour, and we have the option to take the kids indoors at the Community Park Elementary School." However, that option, Mr. Roberts said, was unlikely as too little airflow inside CP could create conditions more stifling than those outside.
Mr. Roberts voiced a common, but effective antidote: "Drink fluids, get into the shade, and check for heat exhaustion."
Those most at risk are typically small children and the elderly, said Susan Hoskins, executive director of the Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC). Ms. Hoskins, who included heat advisory tips in the PSRC June bulletin, recommended that seniors, particularly those taking medication, avoid soda, tea, alcohol, and coffee. Drink plenty of water she said, unless medication is being taken for fluid retention: "That could cause problems," she added. She also advised to stay indoors with the air conditioning on.
Ms. Hoskins said one of the challenges of ensuring senior safety during a heat wave is a concern for the electric bill: "Sometimes, they don't want to use the equipment they have and so we feel it's really important to make sure they use it."
A fan is sufficient if there is no air conditioning, Ms. Hoskins said, but warned against sitting in front of a fan with the windows closed as that could create a "convection oven effect." She also recommended using a fan to blow air out during the day and in at night.
No heat-related emergencies had been reported as of Tuesday, according to Chief Greg Paulson of the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad, but he emphasized that the Squad's main concern was that people with elderly family members should look in on them regularly.
"It's important to check on the elderly who don't have access to air conditioning or live on their own," he said. Both he and Ms. Hoskins said the PSRC's Suzanne Paterson Center is open to the public and air-conditioned.
Typical symptoms of heat stroke or exhaustion, Mr. Paulson said, are nausea, confusion, and a lack of perspiration: "It's important to understand that a lot of medications taken by older adults reduce the body's ability to cool itself and make them more susceptible to heat emergency," he said.
Dr. Peter Cridge, chief of Emergency Medicine at Princeton HealthCare System, echoed Chief Paulson concerning various medications. Dr. Cridge said to check with a physician to see what could put an individual at greatest risk.
Dr. Cridge said that in the event of a heat stroke, the body can reach temperatures approaching 107 degrees. He said ice packs placed in the groin and under the arms can be effective while emergency services are summoned.
"But ultimately, it's water, water, water: don't wait until you're thirsty," he added.
In the meantime, Princeton may be in for a reprieve as the high temperatures are expected to "plummet" to the mid to high 80s for the remainder of the week.