It's So Hot in Baltimore That Schools Are Closing

Dozens of Baltimore County schools that don't have air conditioning are closed Friday because of the heat, the AP reports. The temporary closures of 37 schools are because of a measure approved by the county's board of education earlier this month that says non-air-conditioned public schools must close when the heat index for the next day is forecast to reach 90 degrees by 11am. The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures in the lower 90s and high humidity by early Friday afternoon in the area, which translates to a heat index of 98 or 99 degrees.

Not that everyone's getting to play hooky: The rest of the county's 173 schools that have air conditioning are staying open. Superintendent Dallas Dance says if more heat-related closures occur, he'll seek a waiver from the state requirement that students be in school for 180 days. (July 2016 was the hottest on record.)