Asphalt absorbs a lot of heat from the sun. And new thermal infrared images from NASA show just how hot Phoenix streets can be on triple-digit days.
NASA used a thermal radiometer on the International Space Station to capture surface temperatures in central Phoenix. A new map shows streets across the city color coded to illustrate temperatures.
The data was recorded on June 19, when the daily high was 106 degrees, but the map shows asphalt across the city that day was between 120 and 160 degrees.
Surface temperatures that hot can cause severe contact burns within minutes or seconds. The Arizona Burn Center – Valleywise Health reports it has seen a dramatic rise in these types of injuries over the past few years. Among the 136 patients treated for these burns last year, the average hospital stay was 12 days. About 10% of those patients died as a result of their injuries, the hospital reports.
The NASA data shows vegetation can make a big difference in surface temperatures. Streets around Encanto Park and other large green spaces in central Phoenix were the coolest areas of the new map, while neighborhoods with less green space, such as Maryvale and the area surrounding Sky Harbor Airport, were hottest.
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Phoenix has now covered 200 miles of city streets with cool pavement. The city has been applying the light, reflective coating since 2020 with the goal of reducing the urban heat island effect.
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This year’s extremely hot summer immediately followed the hottest spring on record and hottest winter on record. That puts 2026 on-track for the hottest year-round temperature on the books in Phoenix. -
An attorney representing the family of an Arizona State University hockey player who collapsed during a workout is criticizing the way the university is handling an investigation into what happened. -
An ASU hockey player who became unresponsive during an outdoor training session in extreme heat nearly two weeks ago remains hospitalized and may not recover, his family’s attorney said. -
As tree planting campaigns gain traction in Phoenix, a nonprofit is trying to grow the workforce needed to support those plants. Unlimited Potential is partnering with American Forests to hold a paid 120 credit-hour training program.
