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Old 04-18-2015, 12:05 AM
 
415 posts, read 510,260 times
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I realize this is common sense for many people and rote knowledge for many others.

Still, it's (((almost))) shocking to see just how much warmer or cooler air temps can be just a few short miles apart in the Phoenix area.

Phoenix ground temps are taken @ Sky Harbor and that's always felt like the hottest area of the valley to me and my research has supported my assumption.

The coolest area in the Phoenix metro area is Cave Creek / Carefree. This makes sense because this area rests @ 2000 - 2200 ft elevation.

Here are some current random surface temps for the area:
Attached Thumbnails
Stubstantial temperature variations in and around the valley.-image.jpg  
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Old 04-18-2015, 12:57 PM
 
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
2,150 posts, read 5,139,599 times
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A lot of factors play into the variations, which really are not that great. Elevation is one factor, a few hundred feet can make a difference, but the amount of building, pavement, traffic, etc. can make a big difference. The "heat island" is a big factor. One reason why areas like Cave Creek are cooler is not only elevation, but much less densely developed. Cave Creek/Carefree still have a majority of properties on large parcels (1+acre), not as many parking lots, many unpaved roads, much less traffic. People bring heat with them. The heat island holds the heat longer in the evenings as well.

I once had the pleasure to show some homes in Chandler when the 2:00p temperature was 113', drove back up to Carefree about 3:00p (hottest part of the day) and temperature was 106'. Still hot, but a full 7 degrees cooler. I probably did not feel the difference, but my AC probably did.
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Old 04-18-2015, 01:24 PM
 
Location: Coolidge, AZ
1,220 posts, read 1,583,411 times
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I disagree that it's all that substantial at all. Compare San diego ca to El Cajon ca right now...
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Old 04-18-2015, 02:04 PM
 
Location: AriZona
5,229 posts, read 4,570,819 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elcajones View Post
I disagree that it's all that substantial at all. Compare San diego ca to El Cajon ca right now...
The main (if not the only) thing I remember about either El Cajon or San Diego is that I always passed them in order to get to my favorite spot in that area, and that was La Jolla Cove Beach! The temps always seemed to be just right and most excellent to me at the time.
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Old 04-18-2015, 02:23 PM
 
1,629 posts, read 2,612,878 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Citizenrich View Post
I realize this is common sense for many people and rote knowledge for many others.

Still, it's (((almost))) shocking to see just how much warmer or cooler air temps can be just a few short miles apart in the Phoenix area.

Phoenix ground temps are taken @ Sky Harbor and that's always felt like the hottest area of the valley to me and my research has supported my assumption.

The coolest area in the Phoenix metro area is Cave Creek / Carefree. This makes sense because this area rests @ 2000 - 2200 ft elevation.

Here are some current random surface temps for the area:
I'm not sure a 7 degree temperature drop between a temperature station surrounded by asphalt (Sky Harbor) to a temperature station about 1,000 feet higher in elevation surrounded by desert vegetation is all that alarming.

I just know how much cooler it feels here at night driving by an open field versus a developed area.
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Old 04-18-2015, 03:03 PM
 
Location: East Central Phoenix
8,023 posts, read 12,171,052 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZJoeD View Post
A lot of factors play into the variations, which really are not that great. Elevation is one factor, a few hundred feet can make a difference, but the amount of building, pavement, traffic, etc. can make a big difference. The "heat island" is a big factor. One reason why areas like Cave Creek are cooler is not only elevation, but much less densely developed. Cave Creek/Carefree still have a majority of properties on large parcels (1+acre), not as many parking lots, many unpaved roads, much less traffic. People bring heat with them. The heat island holds the heat longer in the evenings as well.

I once had the pleasure to show some homes in Chandler when the 2:00p temperature was 113', drove back up to Carefree about 3:00p (hottest part of the day) and temperature was 106'. Still hot, but a full 7 degrees cooler. I probably did not feel the difference, but my AC probably did.
Correct on all levels! Elevation plays a minor part in temperature variation, but the urban heat island is the big factor. The presence of (or lack of) agriculture also plays a part. The NWS has a section on their website where you can pull up past weather stats such as daily maximum/minimum temps over the past 100+ years. When Phoenix was a small town many many years go, the overnight lows were much cooler than they are now ... and that was due to the lack of an urban heat island, and much more agriculture in the Valley. Ever since the 1960s, which was basically the start of the rapid growth & sprawl, the low temps eventually became warmer. Now, there are many record high temps that are tied or broken quite often, but Sky Harbor hasn't recorded a record low temp since December, 1990!

Of course, there are still doubters of the effects of the heat island, and some who claim that it doesn't exist at all. We all know from experience that urbanization & growth increase temperatures (especially night/early morning temps). If you look at a town like Coolidge, which is situated at a lower elevation, their daytime highs are about the same, if not slightly higher than those in the Phoenix area ... however, their lows are often five to ten degrees cooler than Sky Harbor's. Coolidge is still far removed to where the sprawling growth hasn't affected them yet, and there is lots of agriculture in the area.
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