NASA map shows temperatures up to 160 degrees on Phoenix streets (opens in new tab)

(kjzz.org)

15 pointsStriverGuy1y ago17 comments

17 comments

Phoenix "city planners" (do any cities actually do any intelligent planning?) must be the most pointless job in the world. "How can we design something so awful that it is nearly uninhabitable?" must be their design philosophy. Or perhaps I should give them more credit; it may be a high quality experiment in Martian landscaping and terraforming.

matthewdgreen1y ago

We have got to come up with an inexpensive and non-slippery solution for painting streets white in these cities. I know it’s possible, but all of the existing solutions seem to be really expensive or change the grip of the pavement, or else just don’t last very long.

mikestew1y ago

but all of the existing solutions seem to be really expensive or change the grip of the pavement, or else just don’t last very long.

…or make you go snowblind while you’re trying to drive down the street. Just the thought of Phoenix in July while walking on a completely white surface makes my eyes hurt.

carabiner1y ago

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/los-angeles-is-painting-some-of...

It's being tested but is very expensive.

8xeh1y ago

Phoenix does this:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-beat-the-heat-...

> Experts say road temperatures in the Phoenix area can rise to 180 degrees on a hot day

I guess being only 160°F means the gray is working. I wonder how well it would do if it were painted white.

jandrese1y ago

Would it be so bad to use concrete instead? Sure the up front cost is higher, but it has a higher albedo and lasts longer, especially since Phoenix doesn't have snowplows tearing up the streets.

andrewxdiamond1y ago

The total cost of ownership differences between asphalt and concrete roads is astronomical.

A single pothole in concrete is a very invasive fix with significant amount of debris, but asphalt can be almost infinitely recycled.

Replacing asphalt means eating up the debris and putting it right back in the ground. Replacing concrete means toting truck loads of the stuff _somewhere else_ to sit

1 more reply

kolinko1y ago

Or narrow them down and plant trees?

itishappy1y ago

NASA's article has a bit more detail:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-ecostress-maps-burn-risk...

Poor pets.

beede1y ago

All that shows is some surfaces at least 140°F. Which is still effing hot, but there are only three colors in the legend.

gmuslera1y ago

In hundreds of years some future religions will believe in the myth of Phoenix rising from its ashes.

dvh1y ago

71°C

cs7021y ago

...due to asphalt absorbing heat from unobstructed sun.

160'F is hot enough to boil an egg in under a couple of minutes.

My reaction: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Edvard_M...

FriedPickles1y ago

Yes, it could cook an egg. But to boil an egg at 160ºf you'd have to be at the top of Everest.