It's tricky traveling in the heat

Dr. Gridlock's hot weather travel tips | Cooling centers
Photos: Coping with the heat | Video: Memories of the snow

We thought we had seen hot this summer, but apparently today and Wednesday will make us wish for the piles of snow we saw in February. The Capital Weather Gang says temperatures could reach 102 today.

That means if you're traveling on Metro or commuter rail, you may encounter stifling conditions if the air conditioning isn't up to par.

It's also likely that VRE and MARC will operate with heat restrictions, which will slow travel on the lines. When that happens, past experience has shown that the trains operate with 10- to 15-minute delays. Trains must slow during extreme heat because the steel rails can expand and shift, producing a curve in an otherwise straight pair of rails. We'll provide updates if alerts come in on that.

Here are some tips from Dr. Gridlock on beating the heat. You can also share your stories below, or send us e-mails on your experiences. E-mail transportation@washpost.com.