TPL Urban Heat Island Severity for U.S. Cities

<p><b>Open the Data Resource:</b> <a href='https://arcg.is/15jrWO1' rel='nofollow ugc'>https://arcg.is/15jrWO1</a></p> <p>Federal statistics over a 30-year period show extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Extreme heat exacerbated by urban heat islands can lead to increased respiratory difficulties, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Urban Heat Island Severity for U.S. Cities contains the relative heat severity for every pixel for every city in the United States, including Alaska, Hawai'i and Puerto Rico. The purpose of this map is to show where certain areas of cities are hotter than the average temperature for that same city as a whole. Severity is measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being a relatively mild heat area (slightly above the mean for the city), and 5 being a severe heat area (significantly above the mean for the city). The absolute heat above mean values are classified into these 5 classes using the Jenks Natural Breaks classification method, which seeks to reduce the variance within classes and maximize the variance between classes. Knowing where areas of high heat are located can help a city government plan for mitigation strategies.</p>