Right around the time the mercury in Baltimore was hitting a humid and smothering 95 degrees today, the Early family had had it.

The first floor of their Northwest Baltimore home was tolerable, “but upstairs is pretty hot – really hot,” said 12-year-old Brianna Early.

The solution? A walk by all five kids along with their dad to the neighborhood snowball stand, for a frosty cup of crushed ice, soaked with their sweet syrup-of-choice.

No matter that it was down a hill and many blocks away on a day when all of Baltimore seemed trapped in a virtual steam bath.

“It’s good exercise!” said sister Trinity Early, 14, with a smile.

Morgan and Mia, both aged seven, figured out what they wanted pretty quickly. Morgan went with a chartreuse-colored concoction called Apple Lemon. Mia opted for Cotton Candy.

The others had an array of choices, some of them pretty outre, including Fireball and Cold Duck.

Knowing a thing or two at the age of 34, their father, Donnie Early, had this piece of advice for nine-year-old Evan: “I just don’t think you’re going to like Marshmallow.”

A purist, Donnie went for his old reliable: Grape.

Grape may be popular, but it’s still not the most frequently-asked for variety, said Earl Jones, who runs the stand as part of his family’s car wash business at the Druid Park Drive intersection.

The biggest seller? According to Jones, it’s a Bmore classic: “They all want Egg Custard.”

Hot Weather Resources

The city’s snowball sellers had better keep their stands well-stocked – there won’t be much relief tomorrow.

The weather is again forecast to be hot and very muggy Tuesday, with high temperatures expected in the low 90s and humidity levels making it feel like the high 90s.

(According to the National Weather Service, cooler air may bring relief on Wednesday.)

Meanwhile the heat is having an impact city-wide.

At Baltimore Public Schools, summer programs were canceled today because of hot weather and lack of air conditioning in many of the buildings. City pool hours were extended, to give people a place to cool off.

Code Red Advisory

Declaring another Code Red Heat Advisory today, the Health Department released this information and advice:

With the heat index expected to be at 105 degrees tomorrow, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen has extended the Code Red Heat Advisory to Monday. Today (July 19, 2015) the heat index is expected to reach 108. The heat index is a measure of air temperature and relative humidity and indicates how hot it feels to individuals outside.

Also, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has issued a Code Orange air quality alert for today. During Code Orange days, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects, but the general public is unlikely to be affected.

Sensitive groups includes those with heart/lung disease, asthma, children and older adults. Additionally, individuals who are active outdoors may experience health effects.

Cooling Centers

The Community Action Partnership will open the following cooling centers from  from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

• Northern Community Action Center, 5225 York Road
• Southern Community Action Center, 606 Cherry Hill Road (inside the shopping center, 2nd floor)
• Northwest Community Action Center, 3939 Reisterstown Road
• Southeastern Community Action Center, 3411 Bank Street
• Eastern Community Action Center, 1400 E. Federal Street

The Health Department’s Office of Aging and Care Services will open the following senior centers during a Code Red Heat Alert from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

• Waxter Center for Senior Citizens, 1000 Cathedral Street
• Oliver Center, 1700 Gay Street
• Sandtown-Winchester Senior Center, 1601 N. Baker Street
• Hatton Center, 2825 Fait Avenue
• John Booth Center, 2601 E. Baltimore St.
• Zeta Center, 4501 Reisterstown Rd.

During periods of extreme heat, city residents are advised to drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine; reduce outside activities and stay inside in air-conditioned locations; and never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles, even for short periods of time.

Also check on older, sick, or frail neighbors who may need help responding to the heat; watch out for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which include confusion; lightheadedness; hot, dry, flushed skin or cool and clammy skin; and nausea,

Call 911 immediately if any of these symptoms occur.

A Not-So-Fun Fact

Each year heat kills more Americans than hurricanes and other weather-related phenomena combined.