Summer time asphalt temps
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Pinned by
raphjd
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@raphjd I've never seen that type of sign before, but being a cat person, I don't get to the dog parks or other popular pooch destinations. The numbers are alarming!
It would be great if animal welfare groups -- be it ASPCA, PETA, Humane Societies, whatever -- would lobby cities and counties to require these signs at dog-friendly recreation areas.
Perhaps they could aim for state legislatures and the governors' desks -- unless we'd be taking away citizens' god-given rights to burn their pets' paws, of course.
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It's a sign that was posted to the FB page for my hometown.
I would love to see more of these signs.
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@raphjd said in Summer time asphalt temps:
It's a sign that was posted to the FB page for my hometown.
I would love to see more of these signs.
Wow! Another topic @raphjd and I agree upon! First circumcision, and now this!
It's criminal how careless some people can be about their pets!
They leave them in locked cars (where temps can soar to over 140 degrees Farenheit in less than 10 minutes here in Florida!).
They "walk" them on hot asphalt, clueless to the fact that your shoes insulate you - they have no shoes! (I love the sign above! - I snapped a copy! I'll get some made and posted around my parts!)
They put them outside on hot days with no fresh water or food...
The list of DUMB things people do to their pets is endless... and usually simply because the dumb pet owner just doesn't THINK! Most of these pet owners aren't evil, just stupid!
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@raphjd While the IDEA of that sign is very helpful, it is not that accurate. For instance.. it is not air temperature that is the issue, but whether or not the SUN is beating down on the asphalt (or concrete). For instance.. let's say it is 90 degrees F out.. That is certainly hot, but not deadly. If you stand on asphalt that is in the SHADE of a tree or otherwise not being blasted by the sun, it is not that hot.. but if it is being exposed to the sun, it will fry your bacon! Air temperature is not the critical factor. Also, if you stand on the grass - even if the grass is exposed to direct sunlight, it doesn't get that hot. And.. if something is wet.. you know it is not over 212 F.. because if it was, that water would evaporate. The temperature would not rise above 212 F until all the water was gone. Likewise, if you see fresh water in a lake.. you know that the water is at least 32 F. It cannot be colder than 32 F until the water is frozen to ice.
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@lololulu19 There's only so much explanatory text one can put on a road sign before the type size becomes too small to be impactful.
In choosing their message, the creators likely went on the assumption that people (since childhood) understand shaded ground -- asphalt or otherwise -- is cooler; and that the sign numbers reflect a "warm-weather, sunny day, exposed asphalt" location.
As well, air temperature IS a critical factor. All other conditions being equal, find some exposed asphalt and stand barefoot on a sunny day when the thermometer is at 70 degrees, and later that week again, when a heat wave sends the air temperature to 95 degrees. Quite the difference.
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@lololulu19 said in Summer time asphalt temps:
@raphjd While the IDEA of that sign is very helpful, it is not that accurate. For instance.. it is not air temperature that is the issue, but whether or not the SUN is beating down on the asphalt (or concrete). For instance.. let's say it is 90 degrees F out.. That is certainly hot, but not deadly. If you stand on asphalt that is in the SHADE of a tree or otherwise not being blasted by the sun, it is not that hot.. but if it is being exposed to the sun, it will fry your bacon! Air temperature is not the critical factor. Also, if you stand on the grass - even if the grass is exposed to direct sunlight, it doesn't get that hot. And.. if something is wet.. you know it is not over 212 F.. because if it was, that water would evaporate. The temperature would not rise above 212 F until all the water was gone. Likewise, if you see fresh water in a lake.. you know that the water is at least 32 F. It cannot be colder than 32 F until the water is frozen to ice.
This is the problem when people know a little science...
- It is certainly true that air temperature alone does not determine the temp of asphalt: BUT
- if you want to get technical, it also depends heavily on the kind and color of the surface,
- it also depends heavily on the angle of incidence of the sun: the sun hitting the asphalt at noon is very different from the same sun, at the same temperature, at 6pm. Similarly, tropical climes (where the sun is higher in the sky) will see hotter temps than those at more northern (or, in the Southern Hemisphere, southern) latitudes... and for the same reason: angle of incidence.
BUT: if you don't get lost in the numbers,
the CONCEPT is valid and the WARNING is poignant!
But, your other science facts are also off base:
- water CAN be at temps above 100-C (212-F)... WELL ABOVE! Super-heated water is common, so long as it is stagnant (as it might well be - say, in a puddle on asphalt!) Read more here
- water can also be cooled to well under 0-C (32-F), and again, in stagnant water this is quite common. Ask anyone who lives in a far-Northern climate: a still pond can be well under the freezing point ... throw a rock into such a pond and it will turn solid in a matter of seconds! (It's REALLY cool to watch!)
