If You See This New Color on Weather Maps in Indiana, Stay Inside

If you thought the color red on weather maps was as bad as it gets, there's another color that you should be more concerned about this summer.

Summer is almost upon us. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the majority of Indiana can expect a “muggy and stormy” summer. Folks in Southern Indiana will see a “steamy and thundery” forecast. Let’s be honest, though, is there a difference between the two? Chances are, it's going to get hot this summer in Indiana. In fact, last year was actually the hottest on record, so the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have teamed up to help protect Americans with a new color-coded heat forecast. Since heat kills more people in America than any other extreme weather, this new forecast map will help people stay safe when the heat gets extreme.

Introducing...HeatRisk

HeatRisk provides a seven-day outlook for how dangerous the temperature will be. Factors used to determine the heat risk include how unusual the temperatures are for that time of year, the duration of the heat during the day and night, and if the temperatures are dangerous. All of this is based on CDC data. You can actually find the map on the NOAA website by clicking here, and you can even enter your address to get hyperlocal results. When it comes to this map, there is a color worse than red that could pop up, and you should be concerned when you see it.

Stay Inside if You See This Color on the Weather Map

While historically, red signified the worst weather on maps, HeatRisk sees a new color that is worse than red. That color is magenta. When you see magenta on the HeatRisk map, it signifies a "level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," with "impacts likely in most health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure."

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Now, the chances of us seeing magenta in Indiana this summer is likely but not as likely as common as it would be in a state like Texas. In any event, it's important to know what these colors represent this summer if you plan on spending time outside. You can take a look at what each color represents in the graphic below.

So, if you happen to see that the map shows magenta any day this summer, use caution. You'll want to stay inside the air conditioning, wear light-colored clothes, and drink plenty of water because that kind of heat is extremely dangerous. It's especially important advice for seniors, pregnant women, young kids, and anyone with asthma or underlying health conditions.

(H/T- NBC News)