Now that it has stopped raining buckets, the Davis weather has ventured into the unbearable heat that that will be here until September. Having spent the last two summers trying to survive the Davis weather, I have found some tricks for surviving the heat without racking up your PG&E bill. So if you’re planning on staying in Davis this summer, here’s what you should know.
1. Spend the hottest part of the days out of your house: The plus side of this unbearable heat is that every store, restaurant, and public building in Davis will have their air conditioning on all day. So instead of using the AC in your own apartment, go to a library, a movie, or a café and enjoy the ambiance of bearable heat. Usually, by seven or eight p.m., it will be safe to return home — and possibly even pleasantly cool outside.
2. If you have ceiling fans in your apartment, use them: When you are home, use ceiling fans instead of turning on the AC right away. While it might not be as quick to cool your apartment, it can make a difference and will end up costing you a lot less once the AC bill comes. Of course, if your apartment does not have ceiling fan, then you might want to invest in a standing fan, it will be worth the cost by the end of the summer.
3. Take advantage of all the pools in Davis: While it may cost to get into the rec pool on campus, many apartment complexes have their own swimming pools. If you or one of your friends lives in one of these complexes, use the pool. Because so many students leave Davis over the summer, these pools are usually sparsely populated, even on the hottest days.
4. Cook extra food at night: No one wants to cook when it’s 90+ degrees outside, so plan ahead and go on cooking sprees at night when the heat finally breaks, so you can have nice cold leftovers the next couple days. It may not sound appealing now, but you won’t want to use your stove or oven when it’s sweltering outside.
5. Don’t let the heat get you down: While it may be hotter than you’re used to, Davis during the summer can be quite a lot of fun from the farmer’s markets to 4th of July festivities to enjoying the lack of lines and crowds throughout the city. And if you reach a point when you can’t handle the heat anymore, thanks to California’s geography, you can get to the coast in only two hours and let the cool ocean breeze cool you down.
Have fun and stay cool!
Thumbnail photographer: Sajjad Ghanavati
None of the images or gifs belong to the author or Her Campus