San Diego and Orange County tranplants: Is the Phoenix area warmer in the winter than San Diego and Orange County? (to live)

[CuriousAboutCA]

From November 1st-April 1st, does the Phoenix area have better weather than San Diego and Orange County, CA? Is Phoenix warmer, drier, and sunnier in the winter than those areas?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[DetroitN8V]

You mean like this? Phoenix winter weather vs. San Diego winter weather (Dec-Feb)?

[new2colo]

It depends. Are you talking about coastal OC or SD or areas inland? Areas like El Cajon, Santee, Poway, RSM, and Vista are most comparable to what you'll find in metro Phoenix. Differences in wintertime daytime highs are negligible, absent of Santa Ana events, which Phoenix doesn't get. Nighttime low temperatures are generally much more variable than either OC or SD. Phoenix doesn't have any body of water to moderate the occasional cold fronts that pass through. Low temperatures average in the mid to upper 30s across many of the outlying areas of the metro area, with at least several freezes annually. Within more central areas of the metro area, low temperatures average in the low to mid 40s with a freeze or two occurring every several years (usually no lower than 30). Most winters in those areas easily pass without a freeze. This past winter was a very rare exception with three subfreezing nights in a row at the airport (one of the warmest locations in the area).

A good measure that I use is to determine whether a city is in a frost belt here is to look at frost sensitive plants and trees (ficus, bougainvillea, jacaranda). If the trees look hacked up or half dead from annual pruning due to frost damage, you know that area routinely falls below freezing each year. Areas in more central areas have much larger and healthier looking frost sensitive plants and trees due to the heat island.

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

You mean like this? Phoenix winter weather vs. San Diego winter weather (Dec-Feb)?

wow, Detroit....you got on that in one minute!....good work

the low humidity over here makes the difference....very cool at night, warm in the daytime....shady areas are remarkably cooler than adjacent sunny areas.....

deserts: "freeze at night, burn in the daytime", they say

[Palenaka]

I moved here from coastal Ventura/Orange Counties...this is the coldest place that I have ever lived in!! I am not looking forward to the winter as I love the heat lol. It is definitely drier here though...

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by CuriousAboutCA

From November 1st-April 1st, does the Phoenix area have better weather than San Diego and Orange County, CA? Is Phoenix warmer, drier, and sunnier in the winter than those areas?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

This must be a Trick Question, Curious.

For many years I lived in Newport Beach and, believe me, there's not too many other places outside of possibly the Northeast or Alaska with any colder or more dreary weather on a regular basis.

I do not miss the dampness, the fog and the overcast skies until Noon one little bit.

[lvoc]

With all due respect to the locals...no one can actually tell the climates apart. They are different but not in terms that leads to a ready differentiation.

The CA climate is very local as you get close to the sea. In fact if I chose to live there again it would be 8 or 10 miles from the ocean as I really do not like the morning fog.

However Phoenix can get pretty cold pretty quick so even that is a tradeoff.

Nether freezes hard and they basically share the same vegetation.

[Hawaii4evr]

Phoenix is sunnier and drier, but it is still a few degrees colder than coastal SoCal. The Pacific's influence and marine layer keep SoCal on the coast cool, but warmer (especially at night) than the inland deserts. SoCals' coast does get more winter rain, though.

[azroadrunner]

What basically everyone has said. Felt temps at night and early morning are considerably colder in Phoenix wintertime versus the coastal communities....and daytime especially in the shade is nippier due to the dryness. For the same reason, many retirees prefer Florida (again nearer the water than not for the aforementioned maritime moderating effect).. I love and have lived in the Phoenix area for 45 years, but would prefer the So Cal coast for both summer (obviously!) and winter, with fall and spring here in Az. Compared to the Rocky mountain states or back east our winters are nothing of course, but everything's relative and once you're here awhile like most places you look forward to spring (then quickly complain about the heat!).