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After what felt like a blissful early autumn week, D.C. is under another hot weather emergency through Thursday. Temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit are expected to sweep the region throughout most of the week, according to the National Weather Service, possibly breaking heat records .

That heat emergency unfortunately comes just in time for Labor Day, when the District’s outdoor pools close down for the season at 6 p.m.

But on Sunday, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that it would keep both Hearst Pool in Ward 3 and Oxon Run Pool in Ward 8 open until Sept. 21, just before the official end of summer.

Several of the District’s spray parks, which are usually closed after Labor Day, will also remain open until Sept. 21, including in Takoma, Hillcrest, Eastern Market, Columbia Heights, Chevy Chase, and Edgewood (a full list of parks staying open can be found here).

Mayor Muriel Bowser activated the hot weather emergency Sunday. As of Aug. 31, the hottest day on record this year in D.C. was July 29, when it was 97 degrees. NWS is projecting temperatures to exceed that throughout the week. It could end up being the worst September heat wave on record.

Thennie Freeman, acting director of DCDPR, told DCist/WAMU that her department is extending operation of pools and spray parks due to the hot weather emergency and the fact that hot temperatures tend to persist in the area until late September.

Freeman added that the pools and spray parks were chosen with the goal of being “equitable to residents,” so that there is a pool on both sides of the city and spray parks open in nearly every ward.
At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Sunday that DPR’s biggest challenge in keeping pools open past Labor Day is staffing — many of its lifeguards are students whose classes have already resumed, she said.
“Appreciate the DPR team working to make this happen given the heat advisory for the next few days,” she wrote, adding that she hoped to see a few more pools would be extended eventually.

Hearst Pool, at 3701 37th St., NW, is open on all weekdays except Thursdays, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will also be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The nearest Metro stop is Cleveland Park on the Red Line.

Oxon Run Pool, at 501 Mississippi Ave, SE, is closed Mondays (Labor Day is an exception) and open Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Metro riders should get off at Congress Heights on the Green Line.

Indoor pools are closed on Labor Day, but the 12 pools don’t close for the season and are open year-round (though the Wilson Aquatic Center in Ward 3 is closed for repair and the Therapeutic Aquatic Center in Ward 7 is closed for renovations).

Most of the District’s 22 outdoor pools already closed for the season in August. Closures began Aug. 6 and last closures are usually on Labor Day. Six pools apart from Hearst and Oxon Run are open for Labor Day: Banneker Pool, Francis Pool, Upshur Pool, Langdon Park Pool, Rosedale Pool, and Ridge Road Pool. The pools are spread out across all the wards except for Ward 6.

Cooling centers open specifically for the emergency are available throughout the District and residents can find their nearest cooling center on this map. Residents can request free transportation to a cooling center for themselves or others by calling the shelter hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311. Low-barrier shelters for men, women, and LGBTQ residents are also open year-round

Filed Under: d.c. pools, general assignment, heat emergency, labor day,