How much should you drink when it’s 90 degrees outside?

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - With hot temperatures again Thursday, people are looking for ways to keep cool.

Many public swimming pools around the area aren’t open yet for the season, but at least one cooling shelter is now open. The Salvation Army at 626 Union Court in Green Bay is open to anyone who needs a place to escape the heat. It’s open until 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

First Alert Weather forecasts these mid-summer temperatures will be with us through the weekend. High temperatures won’t be below 80 until Monday.

To help you cope with the heat and increased humidity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 8 ounces, or a cup, of water every 15 minutes. The CDC says drinking smaller amounts more often works better than drinking large amounts of water over a longer stretch of time. Eight ounces is about half of a standard, store-bought water bottle, but check the label.

The CDC advises you shouldn’t drink more than 48 ounces in an hour. That much can dilute the concentration of salt in your blood and cause a medical emergency.

The CDC says water is the best thing to drink when working outside but sports drinks are an option if you’re not drinking too much. You should avoid energy drinks, which contain higher levels of caffeine and can affect your heart rate and put added strain on your body in hot weather.

Also avoid alcohol, which not only causes dehydration but affects your judgment. Drinking alcohol within 24 hours of working in the heat can increase the risk of heat-related illness.