Does AZ heat really feel that bad? (Phoenix, Tucson: relocation, housing)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Greatday

And, what you are forgetting is, those numbers are from the Airport - that frequently, the numbers, from various reporting stations, around the valley are higher.

And some are lower, but those are the numbers we all sort of agree on for official purposes. Here you go:

National Weather Service - NWS Phoenix

I will concede there have been more 110s in the shorter record (17 per year), but 2007 was the first and only time we had more than 30 days of 110 temps (at the airport, of course). And, they were not consecutive. The longest consecutive stretch of 110s was 34 years ago with 18 (only) days. Remember that one? I don't, I lived in Tucson then.

[Havasu]

You do get use to the heat and having a pool helps alot,where I live (Lake Havasu) it gets above 120 a few times a summer and quite a few times above 115 and can be above 125. Night time lows are in the mid 90s alot.
I also came from the midwest and I will take this summer heat anyday over the winter cold I can do alot more in the heat then I can do in the cold. It rains very little here and is very dry everybody has rocks for the lawn.
Moderator cut: personal website

[Clint_Noname]

Just FYI: A lot of you seem to think that I'm moving to Phoenix. Nope, I'd never live there to save my life. Crime is high, and there's too much growth, sprawl, and traffic. These are also problems in Tucson as well. I know that pretty much all of Arizona is experiencing rapid growth, but the growth in Phoenix and Tucson is just too much.

[ab14asos]

I don't blame you for not wanting to move to Phoenix or Tucson. Yes, they both can be very hot during the summer but both have amazing winters. What you said about hearing that Arizona is hot. What most people from other parts of the country tend to think is that yes, Arizona is hot. There are many parts of Arizona that are not that hot during the summers. People who have never been to Arizona or who have only been to Phoenix or Tucson seem to believe that ALL of Arizona is desert but it's really not. The Northern half of Arizona sits at a much higher elevation than Phoenix and Southern Arizona. For instance; Prescott, Flagstaff, Show Low, Payson and many other cities and towns in the Northern half of the state sit at 5,000 ft or higher in elevation. They all tend to stay warm but not hot (like Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma) during the summers. Prescott gets into the low to mid 90s. The Flagstaff area gets into the 80s and very few days over 90. Flagstaff sits at an elevation of 7000 foot though. Bullhead City, Lake Havasu (Western Arizona) and the Yuma (Southwestern Arizona) areas tend to have the highest summer temps. So, if you're wanting to get away from the humidity, cold and snow of the midwest and are looking at Arizona I would go with the Prescott area. Flagstaff is kind of a trashy town, it's not very large (50,000) plus it gets pretty cold and averages 90-110 inches of snow a year. The Prescott area is larger than Flagstaff, they have plenty of things to do, nice places to eat plus it is a bit warmer and doesn't get nearly as much snow. Prescott is only about a 1 1/2 hour drive to Flagstaff if you ever want to see a nice winter and maybe going skiing sometime. Well, I hope you have luck in finding your dream location to live. Arizona is a nice state, just be very careful where you choose to live. I'd recommend visiting for at least 1 week to see different locations and to help decide what you are looking for.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by Clint_Noname

Just FYI: A lot of you seem to think that I'm moving to Phoenix. Nope, I'd never live there to save my life. Crime is high, and there's too much growth, sprawl, and traffic. These are also problems in Tucson as well. I know that pretty much all of Arizona is experiencing rapid growth, but the growth in Phoenix and Tucson is just too much.

Well, you never specified. Since Phx is the largest city, we assume.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by Clint_Noname

Just FYI: A lot of you seem to think that I'm moving to Phoenix. Nope, I'd never live there to save my life. Crime is high, and there's too much growth, sprawl, and traffic. These are also problems in Tucson as well. I know that pretty much all of Arizona is experiencing rapid growth, but the growth in Phoenix and Tucson is just too much.

well then the question is disqualified in your case. Since no one knows where you are talking about. Have you ever been here? different parts of the state have different climates.

[Livewire]

It might depend on if youre out working in it all day (not just an hour or so doing your yard) or if you spend all day in an air-conditioned building with only coming out for a few minutes here and there for your break. There's a difference.

[Barbie4747]

I am from MN and we are looking to move to Phoenix. My husband and I were really worried about the heat, too. But, a friend of mine who has lived in both MN and AZ said to me - In MN, there is no escaping the cold and snow, and the stretch of misery is much longer. In AZ, you can always find ways to handle the exterme heat (as another poster said) and it doesn't last nearly as long as winter.

[MichaelinWA]

Everyone defines the too-hot time in Phoenix differently. For me, having grown up in the area, it's about five months and seemingly getting longer, or at least long as your winter. On the other hand, those humid heat waves in the Twin Cities (not sure about elsewhere in MN) during the summer can be miserable as well. On balance, I'll bet you'll like Phoenix better. Clicking on an air conditioner is definitely easier than shoveling snow or trying to negotiate an icy, steep hill in one's car. And the winters are obviously great in Phoenix.

What I particularly don't like about summertime in Phoenix is that it just doesn't cool down very much at night any more, the way that deserts normally do. The locals can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it can still be 100 degrees at 11:00 or midnight in urban Phoenix during the middle of summer. Yech.

Originally Posted by Barbie4747

I am from MN and we are looking to move to Phoenix. My husband and I were really worried about the heat, too. But, a friend of mine who has lived in both MN and AZ said to me - In MN, there is no escaping the cold and snow, and the stretch of misery is much longer. In AZ, you can always find ways to handle the exterme heat (as another poster said) and it doesn't last nearly as long as winter.

[Barbie4747]

I agree - the heat is all relative. But, I know I can handle 100ish degrees for a while because the humidity here is unbearable. And, tomorrow we are expecting 35 degrees and 6 inches of snow. AZ is definitely the way to go if you are not a winter person!