New York NYSPHSAA Heat Rules

New York is the state that shows a scale is a choice, not a law of nature. Its procedure is written against two of them at once — heat index and WBGT — and for the heat index reading it tells schools to use a phone app by ZIP code, the exact thing Georgia, South Carolina and Iowa warn against.

New York writes against both scales

The procedure checks "Feels Like" temperature — heat index — 1 hour before the contest or practice whenever air temperature is 80 °F or higher. A WBGT indicator is offered as an alternative in the same sentence, and the document carries a full WBGT chart of its own — so New York writes against both scales, not against heat index alone.

New York names an app

In writing: "Download WeatherBug app to your phone or log into www.weatherbug.com." and "Enter zip code or city and state in the location section of the app or on-line or determine the THI by using a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Indicator." A remote, ZIP-code-level reading is not a workaround in New York — it is the documented procedure.

That does not make a remote reading physically accurate; it makes it permitted. Everything this site says about remote estimates reading low still applies, and a heat index number cannot be compared against a WBGT threshold in either direction.

Heat index thresholds (°F)

Feels Like temp (heat index)	Tier	Action
under 79 degrees	Full activity — Recommended	Full activity. No restrictions.
80 degrees to 85 degrees	Heat Index Caution — Recommended	Provide ample water and multiple water breaks; monitor athletes for heat illness. Consider reducing the length of the practice session.
86 degrees to 90 degrees	Heat Index Watch — Recommended	Provide ample water and multiple water breaks; monitor athletes for heat illness. Consider postponing practice to a time when the Feels Like temperature is lower. Consider reducing the length of the practice session. One hour of recovery time for every hour of practice.
91 degrees to 95 degrees	Heat Index Warning — Recommended	Provide ample water and water breaks every 15 minutes. Monitor athletes for heat illness. Consider postponing practice to a time when the Feels Like temperature is much lower. Consider reducing the length of the practice session. One hour of recovery time for every hour of practice. Light weight, loose fitting clothes should be worn. For practices, football helmets only — no other protective equipment.
96 degrees or greater	Heat Index Alert — Required	No outside activity, practice or contest, should be held. Indoor activity only if air conditioned.

NYSPHSAA prints this chart as an image rather than as text, so searching the document for a threshold will not find it. It is reproduced below.

The thresholds and quotations above come from the NYSPHSAA Heat Index Procedures (approved 2010-05-01, updated 2023-05-03), cross-checked on 2026-08-09. NYSPHSAA Heat Index Procedures (updated May 3, 2023)

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