Union County Public Schools will end all outdoor activities by 11 a.m. when temperatures hit 95 degrees or higher. The district announced the policy Wednesday, Sept. 2, in a statement reported by WCNC, as a heat advisory took effect across Union County.

The policy applies district-wide, covering Marvin Ridge, Weddington and Cuthbertson high schools and their feeder campuses. For after-school athletics and extracurriculars during extreme heat, UCPS said it will follow guidelines from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).

Those NCHSAA rules require all practices to be suspended when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, a measurement that factors in humidity, wind and solar radiation, reaches 90 degrees. Competitions may continue with mandatory water breaks directed by the gameday administrator. The NCHSAA standards are considered minimums, and individual districts can set stricter rules, according to HighSchoolOT.

UCPS did not specify whether its 95-degree threshold refers to air temperature or Wet Bulb Globe Temperature.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Union County in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3. Heat index values could reach 108 degrees, WBTV reported. WBTV meteorologist Paul Heggen said highs Thursday are expected in the upper 90s with morning lows in the mid-70s.

At temperatures below the suspension threshold, NCHSAA guidelines still require extra precautions. At readings between 88 and 89.9 degrees, athletes must be under constant observation, pads and equipment removed, and a five-minute rest and water break given every 15 minutes. A cold or ice immersion pool must be on site.

Across the Charlotte region, coaches are already adapting. Jammie Deese, football coach at Charlotte Christian High School, a private school outside the UCPS system, told WCNC his team shifted practices to mornings and shortened sessions.

"We've been going in the morning to try to offset some of those issues … just to get movement, get our guys in the drills," Deese said.

UCPS said in its statement that staff is monitoring weather conditions and will make adjustments to outdoor activities as needed throughout the week. The district did not say when normal schedules would resume.

No UCPS coaches or athletic directors have commented publicly on the protocols. Parents with questions should contact their school's front office for campus-specific schedules.