This is a theoretical paper concerned with the rise in the surface temperatures caused by frictional heating at sliding contacts. By taking into account in the theoretical model, the growth of junctions between contacting asperities due to the action of the friction force, a large improvement in the correlation with experimental surface temperature measurements at dry friction contacts has been obtained. These results are felt to support the use of the usual flash temperature technique for predicting the surface temperatures in lubricated or low friction conditions.Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the Lubrication Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 18–20, 1966.