Triple-digit heat is settling over the Valley, and a heat advisory is in effect through Tuesday as Fresno lines up places for people to cool off. Families are already using those options while the city watches temperatures climb before the official start of summer.

At Wild Water Adventure Park, Brison said the Lost River has become more than a ride. “Being here with friends and family, it just makes everything special. It's like memories,” he said, adding later, “I'd recommend this 100 percent. It's the best place.”

The attraction, part of the park’s 52-acre facility, is a horseshoe-shaped, three-foot-deep endless loop built for floaters. About a dozen lifeguards supervise the Lost River, and anyone under 48 inches tall has to wear a life jacket. Kathy Siggers said that is exactly what makes the place appealing to parents. “This is a way that a parent can have a peace of mind, the kids get the thrills, but they're in a safe environment,” she said.

That need for relief is also showing up across Fresno. The city offers cooling centers and community centers when temperatures reach or exceed 105 degrees, along with nine splash pads for families looking for a free way to cool off. Those options matter now because the heat is not a one-day spike; it is expected to last through Tuesday, keeping pressure on households trying to avoid the worst of it.

There is one catch. Josh Sellers said community centers are normally closed on the weekends, but the city can open cooling centers on Saturdays or Sundays if extreme heat conditions warrant it. That means the help is available, but not always on the easiest days for families to reach it.

For now, Fresno is relying on a mix of cooling centers, community centers and splash pads while residents look for shade wherever they can find it. The key question is not whether the heat is real; it is whether the city will decide the weekend calls for opening those cooling spaces when the danger is at its worst.