Colorado school sports heat policy
CHSAA’s sports medicine handbook recommends WBGT activity guidelines and prints one chart of them for the whole state. How to read these labels
- Association
- CHSAA (Colorado High School Activities Association)
- Label
- WBGT recommended
- Reading it uses
- WBGT
- Statewide table
- Yes, shown below
- Last checked
- September 28, 2026
What CHSAA’s document says
The state association recommends WBGT-based activity modification.
CHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Handbook says “Colorado is a Category 1 state” and names two sources for the reading: “A WBGT monitoring device can be used or the National Weather Service website”. That sentence names no other source, and this app is neither of the two. For the activity guidelines themselves, the handbook says to “Refer to the WBGT chart for guidelines on athletic activities within the State of Colorado.” The zones here are CHSAA’s own numbers from that chart. CHSAA’s chart leaves a few readings in no band (76.1 to 76.2 °F, 84.1 °F and 86.1 °F); this card shows each in the band below it.
- < 76.3°FNormal activity
Normal activities. Provide 3+ rest breaks per hour (≥3 min each); unlimited water.
- 76.3 to under 81.1°FUse discretion
Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise; watch at-risk athletes. 3+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min each).
- 81.1 to under 84.2°FReduced: cap 2 h
Cap practice at 2 hours. Football: helmet, shoulder pads, and shorts only (pads off for conditioning). 4+ rest breaks/hour (≥4 min).
- 84.2 to under 86.2°FLimited: cap 1 h
Cap practice at 1 hour. No protective equipment and no conditioning. ~20 min of rest breaks across the hour.
- ≥ 86.2°FCancel outdoor activity
No outdoor workouts: delay or cancel until the WBGT drops to a cooler level.
This is a plain-language summary to help you plan. It is not legal advice, and it is not the association’s document. Associations revise these policies often. Confirm what currently applies with your school, district or association.
What else to know
- Under WBGT monitoring, CHSAA’s handbook lists questions such as “HOW are you going to monitor the heat?” and “HOW are you going to cool the athlete?”, which are worth asking your school or coach.
- CHSAA’s prevention list says to “Conduct warm-ups in the shade” and “Allow for breaks in shade”, and it passes on NFHS advice to “Have a formal pre-season heat acclimatization plan for all sports and activities”.
- For suspected heat stroke, the handbook says “Cool first, transport second”, and that “Immersion in a cold tub is best”.
How to read this
Each row is a range of WBGT readings, and every reading falls in exactly one row. A range like “76.3 to under 81.1°F” includes the first number and stops just below the second. The short activity notes in each row are a general guide, worded the same on every state page. CHSAA’s document may word its limits differently or add rest breaks, equipment and water rules, so open it for the exact rules.
Before you rely on this
- This page summarizes CHSAA’s document. It does not replace it. If they differ, go by the document and by the policy your school or league has adopted.
- Confirm what currently applies with your school, district or association. Many schools adopt their own version.
- Any WBGT number WetBulbTracker shows is a modeled estimate for planning, not an official reading. Where a policy calls for an on-site reading, that reading governs.
- This page does not replace an athletic trainer’s judgment.
Live heat readings in Colorado
Suggest a correction
Associations update these documents, often before the fall season. If something here is wrong or out of date, send us a link to the current document and we will re-check it.
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