Triple-Digit Heat Index Is Here — and Denton County Just Published the Full Cooling Station Map

If your AC is struggling, broken, or just too expensive to run all day, this is not the week to tough it out.

Heat index values are hitting 109°F this afternoon in Flower Mound, and forecasters are calling for sunny skies and mid-90s highs with heat index values up to 110°F in the days ahead. A massive humidity spike is pushing feels-like temperatures to 110°F across the Metroplex, with forecasters warning North Texans to prepare for a prolonged stretch of hot, humid summer weather. You don't have to just sit in it.

When sweltering summer heat blankets Denton County, several public facilities and service providers open their doors for visitors to cool off — and the county has now published its full list of those facilities for summer 2026. No application. No income check. Walk in.

City facilities with air conditioning, public restrooms, water fountains, and sitting areas serve as cooling stations during extreme weather conditions, during regular business hours. Libraries and recreation centers are your best bets during the day. Fire stations are also open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. — though those offer restrooms and water fountains only, no seating areas. Worth knowing before you drive across town.

For residents who need more than a few hours of relief, overnight options exist, but with caveats. Our Daily Bread, together with Monsignor King Outreach Center, which operates the Denton Community Shelter, transitioned in September 2025 to a housing-focused model with overnight shelter limited to 120 people who apply and meet eligibility, except during inclement weather protocol. To check inclement weather hours and overnight shelter availability, call 940-514-1007.

The Salvation Army in Denton works differently. Salvation Army Denton's cooling station hours — noon to 5 p.m. weekdays — kick in automatically any time the heat index reaches 100°F or higher, which means they're open right now. Call 940-566-3800 to inquire about inclement weather overnight shelter availability.

The city of Denton also updates its heat risk assessment webpage daily by 1 p.m. with information about whether the overnight shelter is open. Check it before you go, or before you send someone else.

The Flower Mound Public Library at 3030 Broadmoor Lane is the closest air-conditioned public facility for most residents in southern Denton County. The full county-wide cooling station list lives at dentoncounty.gov/1738.

That list is only useful if people know it exists. If you have an elderly neighbor, a family without reliable AC, or anyone sleeping somewhere that isn't cooled — send them this. Heat illness isn't a dramatic event. It sneaks up. And this week, the conditions are exactly right for it.