Greensboro opens Orange Flag cooling center through Sunday night

Greensboro is keeping its overnight Orange Flag cooling center active through the weekend because of extreme heat.

The city says the cooling center will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Friday, July 10; Saturday, July 11; and Sunday, July 12, 2026, at the Interactive Resource Center, 407 E. Washington Street. It is available to single adults and families.

Greensboro says Orange Flag activation occurs when forecast daytime temperatures or heat index values reach 90 degrees or higher and overnight temperatures are not expected to fall below 70 degrees. The city said July 10 marked the 24th Orange Flag activation day since June 6 and the 15th consecutive day of activation.

• What to know: Daytime cooling stations and hydration stations operate during the summer regardless of Orange Flag status.
• Who is affected: People without reliable air conditioning, unhoused residents, families, older adults, outdoor workers and anyone vulnerable to heat illness.
• Why it matters: Overnight heat can be dangerous because the body has less time to recover from daytime exposure.

Residents should check on neighbors, limit strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat and use city cooling resources if home conditions are unsafe.

Source: Reporting based on the City of Greensboro's July 10, 2026 city news item, City to Activate Orange Flag Overnight Cooling Center July 10-12, checked July 11, 2026. National Weather Service active-alert point checks for Greensboro and nearby corridor locations returned no active alerts during this run.