How hot outdoor surfaces actually get in Arizona — measured, sourced, and honest about the gaps.
Every hardscape company in the Valley will tell you their material 'stays cooler.' Almost none of them will show you a number, a source, or the conditions it was measured under. So here is what the published research actually says about surface temperatures in desert sun, where the data is solid, and — just as important — where no credible measurement exists and we refuse to make one up.
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Compare the measured surfaces
- Artificial turf200°F · Maximum · 98°F air · Provo, UT
- Artificial turf (research summary)175°F · Maximum · Central Pennsylvania
- Porous rock (lava rock)170°F · Maximum · 120°F air · Las Vegas, NV
- Asphalt166°F · Maximum · 120°F air · Las Vegas, NV
- Brick152°F · Maximum · 120°F air · Las Vegas, NV
- Artificial turf (Arizona reading)152°F · Single reading · 95°F air · Tempe, AZ
- Asphalt (Phoenix streets)150°F · Mean · Phoenix, AZ
- Concrete sidewalk (Phoenix)145°F · Mean · Phoenix, AZ
- Light reflective ("cool") pavement145°F · Mean · Phoenix, AZ
- Concrete144°F · Maximum · 120°F air · Las Vegas, NV
- Sand143°F · Maximum · 120°F air · Las Vegas, NV
- Dirt / bare soil, cement, steel (Arizona)140°F · Maximum · 104°F air · Phoenix, AZ
- Natural grass91°F · Single reading · 90°F air · Tempe, AZ
Bars show the charted value for each row — the maximum or mean exactly as the source published it, rounded to the nearest degree. Copper bars sit at or above 140°F, the contact temperature associated with a second-degree burn in about five seconds. Rows come from different studies, cities, instruments, and seasons, so treat the chart as scale and direction, not a head-to-head test. Full conditions and source links stay in the table below.
Once you know the heat numbers, compare hardscape materials compared on cost, heat, and upkeep.
Published surface temperatures in hot-sun conditions
| Surface | Measured temperature | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porous rock (lava rock) | 170°F max | 120°F air, Las Vegas desert, August afternoon | Chestovich et al., Journal of Burn Care & Research (2023) |
| Asphalt | 166°F max | 120°F air, 2:10 p.m., Aug 6 2020 | Chestovich et al., Journal of Burn Care & Research (2023) |
| Asphalt (Phoenix streets) | Mean ~145–150°F, noon–4 p.m. | Phoenix residential streets, 2020–21 field measurements | City of Phoenix & ASU Cool Pavement Pilot, Phase 1 (2021) |
| Brick | 152°F max | 120°F air, same desert study | Chestovich et al., Journal of Burn Care & Research (2023) |
| Concrete | 144°F max | 120°F air, 2:10 p.m., Aug 6 2020 | Chestovich et al., Journal of Burn Care & Research (2023) |
| Concrete sidewalk (Phoenix) | Mean ~136–145°F, noon–4 p.m. | Phoenix neighborhood field measurements | City of Phoenix & ASU Cool Pavement Pilot, Phase 1 (2021) |
| Light reflective ("cool") pavement | ~144.7°F where adjacent asphalt hit ~150.4°F; up to 16°F cooler at midday | Phoenix pilot neighborhoods, same day and time as the asphalt readings | City of Phoenix & ASU Cool Pavement Pilot, Phase 1 (2021) |
| Sand | 143°F max | 120°F air, same desert study | Chestovich et al., Journal of Burn Care & Research (2023) |
| Dirt / bare soil, cement, steel (Arizona) | 136–140°F peak | ~104°F air, Phoenix-area measurements | Harrington et al. (1995), cited in Burns & Trauma (2019) |
| Artificial turf | 200°F max recorded | 98°F air day, Provo, Utah | Williams & Pulley, Brigham Young University |
| Artificial turf (Arizona reading) | ~152°F | 95°F air, morning, ASU campus field | Arizona State University (Wardenaar et al.), ASU News 2022 |
| Artificial turf (research summary) | Up to 175°F; typically 35–55°F hotter than natural grass | Central Pennsylvania field and lab studies | Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research |
| Natural grass | ~91°F | ~90°F air, ASU campus, same study as the turf reading | Arizona State University, ASU News 2022 |
These are published readings from the studies linked above, taken at specific sites, dates, and hours. They are not measurements of your yard and not a prediction of what a specific product will do on your property. Color, finish, orientation, shade, wind, and time of day all move the number.
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Methodology: how this dataset was compiled and normalized
The table above is a compiled dataset, not our own field study. We did not take these readings — we collected published ones and put them side by side. Here is exactly how that was done, so you can check our work or repeat it.
How sources were selected
- Peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature, university research centers, and government or municipal reports only.
- Manufacturer, distributor, and installer pages were excluded outright — including our own. If the only number available for a material came from someone selling it, the material went on the "could not verify" list instead of into the table.
- The measurement had to be of a real surface under sun exposure, with the source stating what was measured. Modeled or simulated values were not used.
- Every row keeps a direct link to the source document so you can read the original context, not a summary of it.
How the numbers were normalized
- Units: everything is expressed in degrees Fahrenheit. Where a source published Celsius, it was converted and rounded to the nearest whole degree; no other arithmetic was applied to a published figure.
- Value type: the reported statistic is labeled as the source labeled it. A maximum is shown as a max, and a mean across a measurement window is shown as a mean with that window stated. We did not average a maximum against a mean, and we did not blend readings from two studies into one figure.
- Conditions carried with the number: air temperature, location, and time of day stay attached to every row, because a surface temperature without its conditions is meaningless. That is also why the column exists at all.
- No cross-study ranking: rows measured in different studies, cities, seasons, and instruments are not directly comparable. The 200°F turf reading from Utah and the 144°F concrete reading from a Nevada desert study are not a head-to-head test — they are two separate measurements presented separately.
- Same-study comparisons only: where this guide states a difference between two materials, both figures come from the same study on the same day, such as the reflective pavement versus adjacent asphalt readings in the Phoenix pilot.
Known limits of this dataset
- Instruments and protocols differ between sources — infrared thermometers, contact probes, and remote sensing do not always agree on the same surface.
- Several readings were taken outside Arizona. They are included because the material is directly relevant and the conditions are documented, not because Provo or Las Vegas is a stand-in for Phoenix.
- Color, finish, thickness, substrate, orientation, shade, wind, and humidity all move surface temperature, and no source here isolates every one of those variables.
- Nothing in this dataset predicts what a specific product will do on your property. It establishes scale and direction, not a spec.
Dataset compiled and last reviewed by AE Outdoor Living in 2026 from the sources listed at the bottom of this page. If you find a published measurement we missed, or think we read one wrong, tell us and we will correct the page.
Planning the deck around a pool? Start with the Arizona pool installation guide for permits, phases, and what drives the schedule.
When a surface becomes a burn risk
| Contact surface temperature | Reported time to a second-degree burn |
|---|---|
| 111°F (44°C) | 6 hours |
| 122°F (50°C) | 15 minutes |
| 140°F (60°C) | 5 seconds |
| 149°F (65°C) | 2 seconds |
Classic burn-threshold data (Moritz & Henriques) as cited in the Arizona Burn Center registry study "Streets of Fire revisited," Burns & Trauma (2019). Put next to the table above, the practical point is blunt: several common outdoor surfaces in Arizona summer sun sit well past the five-second line.
What we could not verify — and won't estimate
We searched for measured surface temperatures from academic, medical, and government sources for every material on a typical Arizona bid. For the following, we found no credible published measurement — only vendor claims:
- Travertine
- Flagstone
- Limestone
- Porcelain pavers
- Concrete pavers (light vs. dark, as a controlled test)
- Decomposed granite and landscape gravel
- Cool-deck and acrylic pool-deck coatings
- Wood and composite decking
That does not mean these materials are hot or cool. It means nobody we could find has published a defensible measurement, so any specific degree figure you see for them — including from us — would be fiction. What is well supported is the underlying principle: lighter and more reflective runs cooler than darker and denser under the same sun, which the City of Phoenix cool-pavement pilot demonstrated with up to a 16°F midday difference between reflective pavement and adjacent dark asphalt.
What this changes about how we design
- Shade is the first move, not the last. Every reading above is a sunlight-exposed measurement — remove the solar load and the whole conversation changes.
- Color is a real decision, not just an aesthetic one. Light buff and tan surfaces are the defensible choice in full-sun exposures.
- Mass rock gets planned away from seating. It stores heat and gives it back into the evening.
- Turf goes where it earns its space — play zones, dog runs, putting greens — with shade and exposure discussed up front, not after install.
- West-facing and unshaded afternoon exposures get designed differently from morning-sun patios, even with identical materials.
- Samples go on your site, in your light, before the selection is locked. Your hand at 4 p.m. in July beats any brochure.
Practical safety, plainly
Arizona Burn Center research found that air temperatures of roughly 95–100°F are enough to push outdoor surfaces to the 111°F contact-burn threshold. Pavement, rock, turf, and metal in direct summer sun can all reach temperatures capable of causing serious contact burns.
- Test any surface with the back of your hand before bare feet go on it.
- Keep dogs off unshaded hardscape and turf during peak afternoon hours — paw pads burn.
- Small children, anyone with reduced sensation, and anyone who may fall are at higher risk.
- A surface can stay dangerous for hours after peak sun, particularly mass rock and dark pavement.
This page is design and material education, not medical advice. For burn care and heat-injury guidance, follow Arizona Burn Center guidance and seek medical attention for any burn injury.
Sources on this page
- Chestovich et al., Journal of Burn Care & Research (2023) — desert surface temperatures at 120°F air
- "Streets of Fire revisited," Burns & Trauma (2019) — Arizona Burn Center contact-burn data
- City of Phoenix & ASU Cool Pavement Pilot Program, Phase 1 report (2021)
- Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research — synthetic turf temperature
- Williams & Pulley, Brigham Young University — synthetic surface heat studies
- Arizona State University, ASU News (2022) — campus turf and grass readings
- NASA ECOSTRESS — Phoenix street surface temperature mapping
Common questions.
Designing around a west-facing yard?
Send photos and tell us which hours you actually use the space. We'll plan shade and surface color together instead of selling you a material and hoping July goes easy on you.
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