Sweltering LA neighborhood sees temperatures plummet after new road tactic deployed

MSN ^ | 07/28/2026 | Bianca Zalben

[Vendome]

Los Angeles is fighting its brutal summer heat from the ground up.

More than 700,000 square feet of scorching asphalt in Pacoima — one of the hottest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley — was coated with a special solar-reflective material as part of an ambitious experiment to see whether simply changing the surface beneath residents’ feet could cool down an entire community.

And the results could be a game changer as Southern California swelters through another punishing stretch of summer heat.

Even better for overheated locals, ambient air temperatures along treated streets dropped by up to 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit during a heatwave.

While traditional asphalt soaks up the heat from the sun all day like a giant sponge, the reflective coating works in reverse by reflecting the rays back into the atmosphere before the heat can sink into the ground. In concrete heavy areas, so called “cool pavement” is an incredibly important distinction from traditional blacktop.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asphalt; blackbodyradiation; california; if; this; what; works

[Vendome]

Dunno what to think on this one.....

[Jet Jaguar]

it works.

[PAR35]

Sounds Racist to me. They are putting an off-WHITE coating on top of BLACK asphalt.

[PAR35]

We are more progressive here. We are putting Black asphalt on top of the White concrete.

[Bob434]

the3y better be careful could spark another iceage lol

[lastchance]

I would think that such a finding would be rather obvious.

[Leaning Right]

> ambient air temperatures along treated streets dropped by up to 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit <

So what? I spend next to no time walking on a city street. I’d be more interested in how this affects the temperature in my apartment, an apartment that’s 15+ feet away from the street.

I guess I’d feel differently if I held stock in this asphalt coating company.

[PeterPrinciple]

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/685c3a3826fae16f3054106e/68ff96df6b35eff70862b401_COMSB098-PDF-0725_SB-DuraShield-Pavement-Coating_Data-Sheet.pdf

DuraShield is a two-component, waterborne, epoxy-modified
acrylic coating designed to fortify and protect asphalt
pavement from weathering and other aging effects.
DuraShield SR has a balance of important properties
including flexibility, adhesion, color stability, durability
that support the preservation of asphalt pavements
while also protecting the pavement from the harmful
effects of oxidation.
DuraShield is shipped with factory-blended silica aggregates
to provide consistent friction properties.

[PeterPrinciple]

https://www.streetbond.com/category/pavement-coatings

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[DoodleBob]

Skinner: Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend.
Lisa: But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards?
Skinner: No problem. We simply release wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards.
Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse?
Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas!
Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.

[PeterPrinciple]

More than 700,000 square feet

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so how much did that cost?

[A_perfect_lady]

I’m not morally opposed to it, but I don’t know if I’d call a 3.4° drop “plummet.”

[Repeal The 17th]

This (science fact) has been known like ... forever.

Black roofs are hotter than white roofs.

Black asphalt is hotter than white concrete.

Black cars are hotter than white cars.

[chuck allen]

I’ve been to Disney World in August, it is obvious. The concrete surfaces there affect the weather they’re so big and hot.

[butlerweave]

Did that Obama guy want everyone to paint their roof white ?

[R_Kangel]

...... Yup...... We have that here in AZ ...... What they don't tell you in this article is that that while those ground temperatures do actually drop, the high reflectivity of that coating can make pedestrians standing above it feel slightly hotter due to reflected radiation during the hot midday. However it does actually lower the temps on the surface significantly.

.

[Track9]

I’d like to spray it on my roof shingles.

[lastchance]

I was talking with my daughter about using something besides black asphalt for roads the other day because of a recent repaving nearby.

Disney World in August? That is a bold step.

[Bob Wills is still the king]

“...... Yup...... We have that here in AZ ...... What they don’t tell you in this article is that that while those ground temperatures do actually drop, the high reflectivity of that coating can make pedestrians standing above it feel slightly hotter due to reflected radiation during the hot midday. However it does actually lower the temps on the surface significantly.”
____________________________________________________________

I had my roof sealed with that new “solar reflective” white paint about 10 years ago. It has worked as advertised, and a drop in my summer power bill made it a good investment.

[Sacajaweau]

I remember reading about this 10...maybe even 15-20 years ago.