Lakefront Weather & Air Quality
The Rainbow DJ Lab's rules for lightning, wind, heat, cold and air quality at Rainbow Beach Park, with the exact action for each level.
Status
These policies were adopted by the Ras Tafari Inc. board on October 17, 2026. The Lab is proposed. The Chicago Park District hasn't approved it, and no dates are set. The indoor shelter locations named below depend on park approval and on the site walk with park staff (Emergency Action Plan, launch checklist item 6).
Where classes happen
- Fall through spring: indoors at the Rainbow Beach Park fieldhouse, when space is available.
- Summer: outdoors on the park lawn, as the park approves, with the fieldhouse as the shelter.
- Never in the water. Children do not swim during the program, and no part of the program takes place in the lake.
Who checks, and when
| Role | Action | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Lead adult | Checks the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast and alerts for Chicago, and the AirNow air quality forecast | The morning of class, and again 1 hour before |
| Lead adult | Decides: outdoors, indoors, or cancel | At least 2 hours before class, when possible |
| Stephen Henry | Sends the cancellation notice to families (email; phone call to anyone who can't be reached) | As soon as the decision is made |
| Lead adult | Watches the sky, listens for thunder, and rechecks radar and alerts on a phone | Every block outdoors (about every 15 minutes) |
If we cancel or move indoors, we will tell you before you leave home whenever we can. If a decision has to be made during class, children stay with staff until signed out as usual (Arrival & Sign-Out).
Lightning
"When thunder roars, go indoors." (National Weather Service)
- At the first thunder or lightning, or an NWS Severe Thunderstorm Warning for our area, the lead adult calls "Weather, inside now."
- Gear stays. Children don't stop to pack up electronics. Adults bring rescue medicine and the sign-in list.
- Both adults walk the group to the fieldhouse (a substantial building). Rain shelters, small sheds, tents, trees and open areas are not safe.
- Head count at the door against the sign-in list.
- Stay inside until 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning. Each new rumble restarts the 30-minute clock.
- If the fieldhouse isn't available that day, outdoor class is cancelled whenever thunderstorms are in the forecast for class time.
Wind off the lake
Wind off Lake Michigan can pick up fast, and it can blow over canopies, speaker stands and tables. Our rules (Lab policy, set more cautiously than any legal minimum):
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| Gusts strong enough to move tents, cables or paper | Take down canopies and lower speakers to the ground; secure laptops |
| An NWS Wind Advisory or High Wind Warning for Chicago during class time | Class moves indoors or is cancelled |
| Blowing sand that gets in eyes or gear | Move indoors |
Children stay away from the water's edge at all times, in any weather.
Heat
The NWS heat index is how hot it feels. It combines temperature and humidity. In full sun it can feel up to 15°F hotter than the posted heat index, which is measured in the shade. Every outdoor class has water breaks in every block and shade. These tiers are the Lab's own policy, based on NWS heat index guidance:
| Heat index (forecast for class time) | What we do |
|---|---|
| Under 80°F | Normal outdoor class. Water at every block change. Shade available |
| 80–89°F | Water at every block change, plus shade for all stations. Move Break kept gentle and in shade |
| 90–102°F | Stations in full shade only. Move Break replaced with a seated activity. Water break every block, and adults check each child. Move indoors if shade isn't enough |
| 103°F or higher | Class moves indoors. If no indoor space, class is cancelled |
| NWS Heat Advisory in effect | Indoors only. Cancelled if indoor space isn't available or the advisory makes outdoor class unsafe |
| NWS Extreme Heat Warning in effect | Class is cancelled |
Signs of heat illness we watch for: heavy sweating, cramps, headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, unusual tiredness or irritability.
- Any sign: the child stops, moves to shade or indoors, sips water and rests with an adult in view. We call the parent.
- Confusion, fainting, hot skin with no sweating, a seizure, or the child can't drink: call 911, move the child to the coolest place, cool them with wet cloths or water, and call the parent.
See also Sunscreen & Hydration.
Cold and the indoor season
- Fall through spring, classes are indoors. Children still walk between the parking lot or bus stop and the fieldhouse, so please dress them for the weather.
- If an NWS Winter Storm Warning or Extreme Cold Warning is in effect for class time, or Chicago Public Schools close for weather, class is cancelled.
- Children wait for pickup inside, never outside in the cold.
Air quality
We check the AirNow forecast and current Air Quality Index (AQI) for Chicago. Children count as a sensitive group, and kids with asthma even more so.
| AQI | Color | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Green (Good) | Normal |
| 51–100 | Yellow (Moderate) | Normal. Children with asthma or breathing conditions may sit out the Move Break |
| 101–150 | Orange (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) | Class moves indoors. No Move Break outdoors. Inhalers checked at sign-in |
| 151–200 | Red (Unhealthy) | Indoors only. Cancelled if no indoor space |
| 201 and higher | Purple or Maroon | Class is cancelled |
Wildfire smoke can raise the AQI quickly. If the AQI reaches Orange during an outdoor class, we move inside at the next block change, or right away if any child is coughing or wheezing.
What you'll be told
- Cancellation or move indoors: by email (and a phone call if needed) as soon as the decision is made, and at least 2 hours before class whenever we can see it coming. A storm that builds suddenly can mean less notice; your child stays safely with staff either way.
- Weather interruption during class: a message saying the group is safe and indoors, and whether pickup time changes.
- Any child with heat or breathing symptoms: a phone call right away.
Sources
- National Weather Service, Lightning Safety: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning and https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-safety-overview
- National Weather Service, Heat Safety and Heat Index: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat and https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-index
- National Weather Service, Heat watches, warnings and advisories: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-ww
- National Weather Service, Wind Safety: https://www.weather.gov/safety/wind
- CDC, Heat and Health: https://www.cdc.gov/heat-health/
- AirNow, AQI Basics: https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/