How do you cope with 100+ temperatures on a daily basis (Phoenix: crime, house)

[20yrsinBranson]

Back when I lived in Phoenix, I rarely went out during the day. If I did, I went from my garage, in an air conditioned car, to work/play (which was air conditioned) and returned home the same way. I shopped in malls. I doubt if I was "out in the heat" a total of 15 minutes in a 24 hour period.

If I wanted to "do something" outside, I did it at night. Night time in Phoenix/desert/Arizona is magical. There were times, when I was 18 - 19 that I would sleep *all day* and be out all night with friends, going to hockey games bars (legal drinking age in Arizona was 18 at the time), and just having a great time.

My best friend at the time would spend a lot of time in her pool, but I just am not an outdoor person, so that never appealed to me either.

The main thing you have to remember is to put a towel over your steering wheel and seat (if you have vinyl or leather upholstery) and leave your car window down a tiny bit if you are parking in the sun. And never, ever put your hand on a black car or go barefoot on the asphalt. LOL

20yrsinBranson

[Phxguy]

Originally Posted by seattlecoming

Only your 1st sentence is accurate. At least when I go outside for any length of time in Washinton I don't sweat, risk heat stroke, or take another chance at getting skin cancer. We have lots of green wooded areas everywhere you look that aren't burned up by raging wildfires like in your drought-ravaged state. I don't have to water any lawns or trees because mother nature takes care of it for us. No running the air-conditioner day and night like I did there. COL is higher here but so are the wages and I'm saving money by not having expenses like high water and power bills. No state income tax either. The suicide theory is blown out of proportion. Just because a few stoned-out rockers like Kurt Cobain took their lives - and happened to live in Seattle - doesn't mean everyone here is suicidal.

Your constant bashing on the Az forums is hilarious. And I can only agree with one sentence of yours (obivous guess as to which one). Enjoy your deary weather in Seattle, I rather take chances with our sunny and near perfect weather. At least I can wake up and know that I start the day off great with an astounding sun rise. Oh yeah and before you retaliate only part of the state is actually that green. Go ahead look at a map of Washington, you live in the green half, why don't you take a vacation to the Western half, the sun will do you some good.
Average_precipitation_in_the_lower_48_states_of_th e_USA.png (image)
And at least volcanos, earthquakes, and tusnamis are the least of my worries. Good luck on insurance. Oh yeah and have fun in Seattle. Enjoy life there, it'd really suck if somehow you start hating it there too.

But back to what the OP mentioned. Dealing with the 100+ degree days aren't as bad as one would expect. It's a matter of knowing what your body can handle and what it can't. Limit exercise to mornings or evenings, drink lots of water, and if you can't stand being inside go out and swim or an air conditioned mall or one of the many thousand things you can do staying cool. And this really only lasts 3-4 months, other than that the weather is near perfect the rest of the 8-9 months.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by Elsinore

It seems that the low elevation areas, particulary Mohave County have consistent temperatures well over 100 degrees in the summer. Do most people just hibernate inside with the AC. I would think that those temperatures would make a home pool too hot to swim in, and it would fee more like a hot-tub instead of a pool. I don't know the answer, so that is why I would like some ideas from year around residents.

Folks, this is the topic of this thread. It is not a state vs. state thread, nor is it intended to be a "let's get into a spitting contest with disgruntled and chronically unhappy former residents." Get back to the original topic and intention of this thread, or it will be closed. Thanks.

[odannyboi]

Originally Posted by seattlecoming

Only your 1st sentence is accurate. At least when I go outside for any length of time in Washinton I don't sweat, risk heat stroke, or take another chance at getting skin cancer. We have lots of green wooded areas everywhere you look that aren't burned up by raging wildfires like in your drought-ravaged state. I don't have to water any lawns or trees because mother nature takes care of it for us. No running the air-conditioner day and night like I did there. COL is higher here but so are the wages and I'm saving money by not having expenses like high water and power bills. No state income tax either. The suicide theory is blown out of proportion. Just because a few stoned-out rockers like Kurt Cobain took their lives - and happened to live in Seattle - doesn't mean everyone here is suicidal.

Umm, I am actually living in Chicago right now, so no drought or wildfires. I've been all around the country and IMO, Washington is depressing.

Extreme heat in southern AZ lasts only about 2-3 months.. most of the rest of the year is awesome (I visited in Nov and April and the weather was perfect).

I personally have a bit of SAD so I desire sun (although I put sunscreen on my face to prevent aging).

[Valley Native]

I save my vacation time for the summer months and take extended trips to either northern AZ, the White Mountains, or once in a while I travel to San Diego. I escape the heat & traffic of Phoenix and get to enjoy some peaceful time in a more natural setting. The times when I have to be in Phoenix during the summer, I try to stay indoors as much as possible. I have become much more intolerant to the heat in recent years than I used to be.

With that in mind, I can relate to some things that SeattleComing is saying. It's very true that the heat & dry weather can be difficult to deal with when you get older and experience more health problems. When I was diagnosed with Diabetes, I became much more sensitive to the heat, especially when my blood sugar levels weren't where they should be. Also, skin cancer is a cause for concern. Valley Fever is caused by a fungus in the desert soil, and I had a dog that suffered from that a while back. Sjogrens Syndrome is another condition that isn't caused by our hot, dry climate, but it definitely makes the symptoms worse.

What I don't agree with is the assertion that it hardly ever rains in Arizona for nearly twelve months out of the year. That's ridiculous! Arizona actually has TWO wet seasons: the winter months (December through March), and the summer monsoon (July, August, and part of September). The seasons in between, however, are pretty dry ... especially May & June. When there isn't much moisture during the two wet seasons (e.g. La Niña influence) is when there becomes cause for concern.

[carrob]

Originally Posted by Gandalara

Weekends, stay inside and play on City-Data

yeah, I thought that was why City-Data was created in the first place...

[_Charles_]

Answer to OP:

1. AC at home.
2. AC at work.
3. AC in the car.
4. Access to swimming pool.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by Elsinore

It seems that the low elevation areas, particulary Mohave County have consistent temperatures well over 100 degrees in the summer. Do most people just hibernate inside with the AC. I would think that those temperatures would make a home pool too hot to swim in, and it would fee more like a hot-tub instead of a pool. I don't know the answer, so that is why I would like some ideas from year around residents.

Consider who responds. Many are retired and don't live by a clock. They are less active so outdoors activities aren't as high on their list. They can swim in their pools at midnight and boast about how nice it is then, sleep in late, or pull up stakes and go to a cooler climate at will. They don't have to fight traffic during the heat of the day, mow the lawn or weed, watch kids at soccer at 4 pm, get into and out of cars constantly, have a job which entails being outside, or are generally just busy during the day. With a lifestyle like that ANY place can seem fine, but not exactly perfect for the younger, more active crowd that doesn't have the luxury of staying indoors marveling about the sunny skies they avoid.

[ironlady]

Originally Posted by seattlecoming

The suicide theory is blown out of proportion. Just because a few stoned-out rockers like Kurt Cobain took their lives - and happened to live in Seattle - doesn't mean everyone here is suicidal.

I'm sorry for your unfortunate experiences, but I beg to differ, Seattle, and so does the science: How Happy Is Your City? - 4 - MSN Health - Depression Slide Show (http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100173391&imageindex=4 - broken link). I'll spare you from citing a long list of medical research studies documenting the serious implications of lack of sunshine for many (maybe not all) people.

Alternatively, just check the work of Edward Glaeser, the Harvard economics professor who studies the contemporary migration patterns of Americans--it seems that human capital follows the average temperatures in January. That's just one of the reasons Phoenix is cited as one of the top ten impending boomtowns.

[~PaperMoon~]

Originally Posted by Elsinore

It seems that the low elevation areas, particulary Mohave County have consistent temperatures well over 100 degrees in the summer. Do most people just hibernate inside with the AC. I would think that those temperatures would make a home pool too hot to swim in, and it would fee more like a hot-tub instead of a pool. I don't know the answer, so that is why I would like some ideas from year around residents.

LOL! The same way people deal with cold temps and freezing winters. I just stay inside under AC and go out later in the evening when it gets cooler.

The same way people stay inside during freezing winters or rainy climates. I prefer that hot sun to freezing cold any day!