The McHenry forecast calls for temperatures close to 90 today and above 90 tomorrow. In the week ahead, the temperature will moderate somewhat with highs in the low to mid 80s. But that’s still pretty darn hot when you get in your car to go somewhere.

It’s not unusual for the mercury to hover in the 80s and 90s in McHenry in late July and August. But, while we may be used to such temperatures, that doesn’t make it any more comfortable. Hop in your car on a 90-degree day, with the windows up, and you’re stepping into a virtual blast furnace. 

According to the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, the increase in temperature inside an enclosed vehicle is dramatic. For an idea of what we’re looking at, consider this chart below: 

Consider that, at 140 degrees, pork is considered to be cooked to medium. A whole egg is cooked at 144 to 158. Fresh beef, veal and lamb are cooked to a temperature safe to eat at 145 degrees. In other words, if you sit in an enclosed car for an hour on a 90-degree day, we could describe you as almost cooked. Leaving your children or pets in the car will do the same thing to them with tragic results. 

The solution is air conditioning. Automotive air conditioning will quickly bring the temperature inside your car down to a tolerably comfortable state and, then, to a temperature that is downright cozy.

Quality auto repair shops saw the writing on the wall. They realized people were reticent to go out and about with the threat of coronavirus looming unseen where they least expect it. In response, the auto repair shops setup pick-up and drop-off services, so car owners didn’t have to worry about it.

Done properly, pick-up and drop-off services are performed sanitarily. The work, such as having your car picked up in McHenry so that the air conditioning is repaired and ready to go, includes sanitary pick-up of the vehicle and sanitary drop-off when the work is done.