As ACU students move between early morning classes, Chapel, residence halls and afternoon meetings, they are doing so during a record-breaking stretch of West Texas heat.

Abilene reached 101 degrees Sept. 1, its 31st consecutive day with a temperature of at least 100 degrees. The streak broke the city’s previous record of 30 consecutive triple-digit days, set in 1952.

The record matters on campus, where students often walk between classes, return to residence halls between activities, participate in athletic events and campus traditions and spend time outside for organization events. ACU’s campus is located directly in the same prolonged heat affecting the rest of Abilene.

For many students, the heat has turned ordinary parts of the school day into something that requires more planning. A walk from a residence hall to class can mean carrying water, choosing shaded routes when possible or arriving early enough to cool down before class begins. Outdoor events and workouts also require students to consider the hottest hours of the day.

Claire Blume, a sophomore nursing major from Fullerton, California, said the heat has made her running routine more difficult. She said that, unlike in California, Abilene’s mornings and evenings have offered little relief during the prolonged stretch of triple-digit temperatures.

“The heat in Abilene is terrible, and it doesn’t ever end,” Blume said. “Even when the sun goes down, it’s still really hot.”

Blume said she normally gets up around 6:30 a.m. to run, expecting cooler conditions, but the early mornings in Abilene have still felt miserable. She said the heat makes an activity she already dislikes even harder to motivate herself to do.

“I already hate running anyways, and the heat just makes it way worse,” Blume said. “I’m like, ‘Do I even want to do this anymore?’”

She also said the city remains hot later into the evening than she is used to, with temperatures not beginning to cool until about 8 p.m.

“It just gets hotter and hotter and hotter, and it never stops,” Blume said.

The 31-day run is especially significant because Abilene averages 19 days per year with temperatures of 100 degrees or higher, based on 1991-2020 climate averages from the National Weather Service. In other words, the city passed its usual yearly total of triple-digit days during one extended heat streak.

The heat can be especially difficult for students who do not have consistent access to a car or who spend large portions of the day moving across campus. It can also affect students working outdoor jobs, participating in athletic practices, or commuting to ACU from off campus.

Students should watch for warning signs of heat illness, including dizziness, nausea, headache, weakness, confusion or excessive sweating. Taking breaks indoors, drinking water throughout the day and avoiding unnecessary activity during the hottest part of the afternoon can help students stay safe.

ACU has a 24-hour campus police department and an alert text-messaging system used for weather alerts and other safety issues. Students can also reach ACU’s Office of Institutional Compliance and Risk Management, which oversees environmental health, safety and emergency-management programs, at risk@acu.edu or 325-674-6142. In an emergency, the university instructs students to call 911.