Does AZ heat really feel that bad? (Phoenix, Tucson: transplants, tornadoes)

[LBear]

It REALLY depends on the person. Some people can tolerate the heat more than others. I know of people that LOVE Minnesota winters (avg. -8F / 23F). They can KEEP the cold. I prefer the warmth.

Closed highways, blizzards, snow everywhere, ice on the roadway, car accidents, frozen doors, road salt eroding your car, gloomy winters, etc, etc. is NOT for me.

I prefer the 110F. It is hot but after the few months, 90s is NOTHING in Phoenix. A 90* day is VERY tolerable. Write me in January when people are getting 12" of snow and it is -20F elsewhere. While it is sunny and 65F in Phoenix.

[NoMoreHeat]

Ponderosa wrote "The average number of days above 110 is 10 for the whole summer - June, July, August and September. "

I'm not sure where they got that statistic, but if you look at the City-Data info for the Phoenix area weather in those months, you will see that the average daily high was 107, so that HAD TO have been more than 10 days of above 110 degree heat in those 4 months. I can vouch for our wretched heat and say that it is way many more days than that but it does not matter, anything above 100 here is unbearable (even the newsmen give heat warnings) bc of the lack of humidity.
Average climate in Phoenix, Arizona

[SIZE=2]Based on data reported by over 4,000 weather stations[/SIZE]


One problem is that we all DO sweat, but it evaporates so quickly there is no time for the largest organ of your body (the skin) to do it's job, which is to help cool and control your core temp. one may think just go from A/C car to A/C house etc. but bc the temps here are so high in those months your energy to col your core temp is zapped by noon.

We have lived here for over 20 years - the heat is hell and we are leaving for cooler weather (yes, with snow). We don't hate our time in Arizona by any means, but we realize that for some people there are limitations in this area for what we want to do. . .

1) Electrolytes: We buy the O Premium all-you-can-drink bottled water delivered to you door for aspprox. $36/month bc it comes with the electrolytes you HAVE TO HAVE in this heat without the sugars in commericial brands. Dehyrdration is a huge issue out here and ER doctor friends of mine say many ER visits in the summer for what patients think are other ailments end up being for dehydration or made worse from dehydration.

2) You have to pre-A/C your car if you have small children, infants, someone with a heart condition or breathing issues or it is literally like putting your newborn into a 250 degree oven when you first get in - air quality warnings on the news, esp in the summer is typical. Bc of this people here are hypersensitive to your having your children in the car in your own driveway while you lock your own front door even in the winter - don't be surprised to have people watch you in parking lots if you leave even a teenager in your car alone in November-February.

3) Arizona has a higher rate of breathing issues like asthma, cvalley fever, pluracy, etc. for whatever reason.

4) In our hottest months, one can get just as Vitamin D deficient and suffer just as much 'cabin fever' in Arizona as they would the midwest in winter bc of our time cooped up in the heat - that surprised allot of people.

5) The examples given in other posts of putting your head in an oven and blasting your face with a hair dryer may sound funny, but they are very accurate. The blow dryer is likened to putting your head out the window of your car in the summer or while boating on a lake while the oven example resembles that of entering the typical 250 degree car.

6) A cooler in the trunk for your car is a summer staple out here to cart your refrig/frozen items from the grocery store even at night when it cools down to a nice 90-95 degrees (seriously).

7) The cool pool is a myth for many pools (not all, but most smaller non-community-sized pools) bc the radiant heat of the ground coupled with the high temps of the day turn your blue oasis into warm bath water by noon - it's literally like leaving the 'oven' of your outside weather to take a warm bath, hardly refreshing.

8) The bright light of the summer sun as compared to our winter sun positioning is very intense even through your windows. . . limo-grade tinted car windows, sun block thick shades and other rememedies are common to survive it. Both our family eye doctor and dermotologist say Arizona (and New Mexico) rate high for cataracts (sun damage to eyes) and skin cancer. I got skin cancer by the age of 36 here and I don't even lay out to tan!

9) Lots of car and home repairs from sun damage - it reaks havic on your car's battery, tubing, tires, etc. (some places won't even guarantee your car battery here bc it's Arizona). Your lawn and outside items like jungle gyms and balls (omg, they are always flat even after pumping) and such have a very short life span even when stored in the garage or a shed. We go through more shoes here also bc the everywhere-cement is hard on them not to mention the heat (I recently bought a higher end of shoe loafer and it melted on the sidewalk!)

We've had some great years here in Arizona, but we miss green and water. For our family the heat is too much of a hinderance for us to enjoy the outdoors and in the winter when it's nice out the days are not long enough for what we want to do anyway. Just know that not everyone here does well in the heat - we don't see most of our neighbors from June - October bc they are indoors avoiding allergies and heat.


One tip if you do move here, buy a basement home - they are rare but worth every penny. We have a full basement with a seperate A/C system and it's heavenly in the summer.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by NoMoreHeat

Ponderosa wrote "The average number of days above 110 is 10 for the whole summer - June, July, August and September. "

I'm not sure where they got that statistic...

Source is the NOAA, National Weather Service official weather statistics for Phoenix, AZ. I've posted the link several times. Look it up.

[steve22]

Originally Posted by LBear

People do not go outside and stay inside with the A/C in places like Chicago, Denver and New York.

I just have to take issue with this. What in the world is Denver doing in this comparison? I lived in the midwest, then moved to Denver, and let me tell you- NIGHT AND DAY. There is no comparison. Denver's weather is gorgeous- if you don't believe me, head over to the Denver site and read the reviews from midwest/northeast transplants to the Denver area, and see what I mean:

Milwaukee vs. Denver: for all you WI transplants

I've lived in both Phoenix and Denver, and to me, the biggest difference: in Denver, there is NO time of year when you are literally trapped inside for your own comfort and safety. Summers were heavenly, & winters were much sunnier & milder than the midwest. And of course, there's the skiing. Plenty of people survive in Denver just fine without a/c; their summers are like Phoenix's springs. The climate there is NOTHING like Chicago or NY.

If you're young & active, sorry to say, but the weather in Phoenix is a huge limitation. Chilly weather, as long as it's dry & sunny, does not prevent one from going outside and being active. Extreme heat does, especially when that heat is constant, without relief, for months on end.

I find it amusing that people seem to think that there's no alternative outside of California (which isn't really reasonable for many with middle-class incomes) to the weather in the midwest/east coast other than the abusively hot summers of southern AZ or Fla. The climates in many regions of the mountain west are spectacular- there are SO many nicer cities with nicer weather out west than those in southern/SE AZ. If you're looking for a great city w/ a heavenly climate, check out Santa Fe, Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, CO Springs, Flagstaff, Durango... could go on and on. So many better choices.

[LordBalfor]

Steve22 -

We considered many of those you listed - and I used to live in Colorado Springs. I agree they all have a better climate than back East, but all of those locations have summers that are too short for our tastes and/or get too chilly in the winter. While I wouldn't want to live in Phoenix either (a bit too warm in the summer for my tastes), SE Arizona is not nearly as hot as Phoenix due it's higher elevation with summer temps typically in the upper 80's and low 90's rather than the 100's as in Phoenix. Those are only about 8-10 degrees warmer than Colorado Springs or Santa Fe. The winter highs are a good 15 degrees warmer though than either of those two places.

...and since we are seeking to escape winter, well, SE Arizona is FAR better choice for us.

Though warm, not all of Southern Arizona is the blast furnace Phoenix or Yuma are. SE Arizona is cooler in the summer for the exact same reason Santa Fe is - higher elevation.

Ken

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by steve22

I just have to take issue with this. What in the world is Denver doing in this comparison? I lived in the midwest, then moved to Denver, and let me tell you- NIGHT AND DAY. There is no comparison. Denver's weather is gorgeous- if you don't believe me, head over to the Denver site and read the reviews from midwest/northeast transplants to the Denver area, and see what I mean:

Milwaukee vs. Denver: for all you WI transplants

I've lived in both Phoenix and Denver, and to me, the biggest difference: in Denver, there is NO time of year when you are literally trapped inside for your own comfort and safety. Summers were heavenly, & winters were much sunnier & milder than the midwest. And of course, there's the skiing. Plenty of people survive in Denver just fine without a/c; their summers are like Phoenix's springs. The climate there is NOTHING like Chicago or NY.

Denvers climate sucks arse too, but in different ways. It might be sunnier than the midwest (but not by drastic numbers like Yuma), but your winters are snowier, just as cold, and longer. Who the hell wants blizzards in March and April? Anyways, I dont know a SINGLE person who stays indoors here, unless its frigidly cold the few times a year it only gets into the single digits. Winters here are in the 30s/40s, with occasional 50s and some 60s. As soon as the snow falls, the sledding hills become so jam packed that you can hardly find a parking spot, the downtowns hold festivals such as ice carvings, hot cider, etc, you can hear snowmobiles running all through the night, tons of cross country skiiers, etc, etc, etc. Its only the whiny babies that stay indoors during the winter. I get so tired of hearing the whiners complain that I say GET OUT!!!!! Go to Florida or Arizona... enjoy their ****e summers while youre at it.

No place is perfect. So we should ALL shut our traps.

[steve22]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Denvers climate sucks arse too, but in different ways. It might be sunnier than the midwest (but not by drastic numbers like Yuma), but your winters are snowier, just as cold, and longer. Who the hell wants blizzards in March and April? Anyways, I dont know a SINGLE person who stays indoors here, unless its frigidly cold the few times a year it only gets into the single digits. Winters here are in the 30s/40s, with occasional 50s and some 60s. As soon as the snow falls, the sledding hills become so jam packed that you can hardly find a parking spot, the downtowns hold festivals such as ice carvings, hot cider, etc, you can hear snowmobiles running all through the night, tons of cross country skiiers, etc, etc, etc. Its only the whiny babies that stay indoors during the winter. I get so tired of hearing the whiners complain that I say GET OUT!!!!! Go to Florida or Arizona... enjoy their ****e summers while youre at it.

No place is perfect. So we should ALL shut our traps.

Denver's climate sucks arse?? Are you kidding me? I lived there. I don't anymore, but it certainly did not "suck arse", not at all compared to the midwest. Does it get the rare blizzard or spring storm? Yes, occasionally, but spring weather in temperate climates tends to be a bit schizophrenic no matter where you are in the middle-northern latitudes. Generally the snow doesn't stick around at all, and if you get the rare spring storm, in all likelihood the next day it'll be sunny, dry and 70 degrees again. Between the lack of humidity, sun and elevation, I find that winters here in CO seem much more mild than the midwest's winters ever did. Trust me, if you lived here for an extensive period of time, my guess is that you'd be pleasantly surprised. I definitely was.

I do agree that placing top priority on weather in terms of choosing a place to live is somewhat ridiculous to me, and not something I can relate to very well. What makes a city great, to me, is the sense of community, walkability, city design, neighborhoods, culture, schools, etc. There's really, to me, so much wrong with Phoenix that it seems cliche and pointless to even debate the subject of weather. Much has already been made about the terrible schools (HUGE issue for me, with young kids), lack of anything remotely resembling a downtown reflective of 5 million people, terrible health care access and a horrible environment in which to practice medicine (again a huge issue for me), lack of public transportation, lack of walkability... to me, Phoenix always really just seemed like a morbidly obese hick town with brutally hot weather half the year. And Tucson, although I do like the city a bit better than I like Phoenix, has its own significant issues with crime and illegal immigration.

I've just never quite understood the infatuation. The desert is beautiful, it's true; but Phoenix, to me, as a city just leaves so much to be desired in so many ways. And there's so much development and so little natural desert left within the sprawling city limits anymore, that the relentless heat & sun are really the only reminders that the desert is where you actually are. I don't get it. But to each their own.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by steve22

Denver's climate sucks arse?? Are you kidding me? I lived there. I don't anymore, but it certainly did not "suck arse", not at all compared to the midwest. Does it get the rare blizzard or spring storm? Yes, occasionally, but spring weather in temperate climates tends to be a bit schizophrenic no matter where you are in the middle-northern latitudes. Generally the snow doesn't stick around at all, and if you get the rare spring storm, in all likelihood the next day it'll be sunny, dry and 70 degrees again. Between the lack of humidity, sun and elevation, I find that winters here in CO seem much more mild than the midwest's winters ever did. Trust me, if you lived here for an extensive period of time, my guess is that you'd be pleasantly surprised. I definitely was.

I do agree that placing top priority on weather in terms of choosing a place to live is somewhat ridiculous to me, and not something I can relate to very well. What makes a city great, to me, is the sense of community, walkability, city design, neighborhoods, culture, schools, etc. There's really, to me, so much wrong with Phoenix that it seems cliche and pointless to even debate the subject of weather. Much has already been made about the terrible schools (HUGE issue for me, with young kids), lack of anything remotely resembling a downtown reflective of 5 million people, terrible health care access and a horrible environment in which to practice medicine (again a huge issue for me), lack of public transportation, lack of walkability... to me, Phoenix always really just seemed like a morbidly obese hick town with brutally hot weather half the year. And Tucson, although I do like the city a bit better than I like Phoenix, has its own significant issues with crime and illegal immigration.

I've just never quite understood the infatuation. The desert is beautiful, it's true; but Phoenix, to me, as a city just leaves so much to be desired in so many ways. And there's so much development and so little natural desert left within the sprawling city limits anymore, that the relentless heat & sun are really the only reminders that the desert is where you actually are. I don't get it. But to each their own.

I agree 100% in regards to people picking a climate over amenities, etc, but still, Denvers winters are pretty nasty(as are Chicago's no doubt). I think it gets blown out of proportion pretty bad, but in all honesty there isnt that much of a difference between Denver winters and Chicago winters (minus an average of 20% more sunshine in Denver).

[Barbie4747]

Originally Posted by backtochitown

Don't let anybody fool you...it is hotter than hell for the vast majority of the year in Phoenix...and you will get tired of living most of your daylight hours indoors with the AC blasting full time...Phoenix also does not cool off at night anymore...get ready for 90-100 degrees even at midnight.

Realistically 90's start in March and don't end until November...April and October can see 100 and May, June, July, August and September are pretty much above 100...and sometimes well above 100.

A nice change for a year or two but it wears on you big time.

Thanks for your input! I can definitely see how the heat would be tiring for people – especially for long stretches. The way I figure it – I am already indoors all day for work anyway regardless. For the majority of my days in MN, I walk out of work to feel a miserable blast of cold and spend the rest of the night piling on clothes & blankets trying to get warm again. And, dealing with snow – I am so over it. There is simply no motivation for me to do anything productive when it’s freezing and I have to deal with snow.

Though I know it’s not for everyone, I really prefer 90-100 degree, sunny weather. 70-80 is not even warm enough for me. Yesterday it got to 70 degrees here and MN people describe that as “hot”. I was still wearing pants and a jacket all day – people here were running around in shorts! Like another poster said, people have different preferences. I’ve spent the majority of the last 30+ years living in a black hole of cold & darkness. I’m SO ready for heat & sun. Bring it on!

[steve22]

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

Steve22 -

We considered many of those you listed - and I used to live in Colorado Springs. I agree they all have a better climate than back East, but all of those locations have summers that are too short for our tastes and/or get too chilly in the winter. While I wouldn't want to live in Phoenix either (a bit too warm in the summer for my tastes), SE Arizona is not nearly as hot as Phoenix due it's higher elevation with summer temps typically in the upper 80's and low 90's rather than the 100's as in Phoenix. Those are only about 8-10 degrees warmer than Colorado Springs or Santa Fe. The winter highs are a good 15 degrees warmer though than either of those two places.

...and since we are seeking to escape winter, well, SE Arizona is FAR better choice for us.

Though warm, not all of Southern Arizona is the blast furnace Phoenix or Yuma are. SE Arizona is cooler in the summer for the exact same reason Santa Fe is - higher elevation.

Ken

I will admit that I haven't spent too much time in SE AZ, other than Tucson. I know that Tucson's summers, although hardly temperate, are a bit cooler than Phoenix's due to the higher elevation. I'm sure that, without the heat island effect which adds so much misery anymore to the Phoenix summers, at least you get some cooling at night.

What drove me nuts about summers in Phoenix was the sheer relentlessness of the heat- no cold fronts, no relief at night, just nonstop oven-like temperatures for months. It sounds like that may not be the case where you are. I think a mistake people make is that they visit in summer, for a few days, and think, "Gee, it's not so bad. At least it's not humid." What they don't think about is that in the midwest, it may get miserably hot & humid for a few days, but then you'll get relief in the form of a cold front or storm, and then it'll be nice again. Don't count on that in Phoenix. It is just non-stop brutal heat for the most eternally long summer you can begin to imagine. It may seem tolerable for a few days; but trust me, when you're subjected to it daily for 5-6 months, it gets pretty old pretty quick.

And speaking of humidity, the monsoon season's another nice little surprise for any folks moving to AZ. The storms are generally nasty, noisy, late-night dust blizzards, and actually provide little relief at all in the form of moisture- at least not in Phoenix. I hear Tucson gets a little more real precipitation out of the storms. Effectively, it just jacks up the humidity for a month and a half during the hottest time of the year, compounding the torture. And the storms will make your car, your home, and pretty much everything else filthy, while causing more than a few sleep-deprived nights. "Dry heat"? Yeah, right. Come during the monsoon season, find out what a cliched lie that is.

People move for different reasons, and are looking for different things when they reach retirement age, I realize that. For my money, I think Flagstaff or Santa Fe would be ideal for me from a climate standpoint. Although it's hard to find anything wrong with Durango, where I am now. Tough to complain about the weather here or the city, although it sounds like it would be too cold for you.