The hot weather in San Diego continues, with even warmer temperatures expected for this weekend.
But just how hot are the surfaces you, your family, and your pets frequent on a daily basis? NBC7 used an infrared thermometer to find out.
Before noon on Friday morning, it was already heating up at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa. Helen Yapura-Weiler set up a blanket to work under alongside her daughter and dog, Bowie.
“I decided to come around 8:45 [a.m.],” Yapura-Weiler said.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Getting places early is one way to try and beat what will be relentless heat this weekend.
“We’re just enjoying the breeze,” Yapura-Weiler said. “It’s on a little bit of a hill here.”
But where there’s direct sun, certain surfaces heat up quickly.
Just before 11 a.m., the thermometer recorded the temperature of the grass. In the sun, the grass was 89 degrees, 14 degrees hotter than the grass's temperature in the shade.
At the dog park — just feet away — surface temperatures were soaring.
Ever Gonzalez was cooling off in the shade at the dog park with his dog Emi just before 11:30 a.m.
“Once she was out, she came right back,” Gonzalez said. ”I think it’s the paws on the sand.”
A temperature reading of the sand showed it was 130 degrees.
The tire swing at the playground had a temperature of 156 degrees just before noon. The turf near the playground entrance was even warmer, with a reading of 166 degrees.
NBC7 wants to remind you to think twice about where you sit or stand during the heat wave.
Tips to avoid and treat burns
According to San Diego Humane Society, paws can burn on hot surfaces like asphalt or concrete. It’s recommended to find your pet shade or use a blanket or towel they can rest on to avoid the pads of the paws getting burned.
The National Institute for Standards and Technology says human skin can sustain first-degree burns at 118 degrees Fahrenheit. As the morning went on, certain surfaces got further away from that threshold.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, to treat a first-degree burn, dermatologists recommend cooling the burn by immersing it in cool tap water or using a cold compress, both for about 10 minutes.
