Phoenix Ranks #6 for nicest Days Per Year (home, calculated)

[Obadno]

Its easy to forget in the middle of summer that we have some of the best weather in North America. Eat your hearts out


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...&noredirect=on


"Our society has collectively decided that some weather is better than others. When was the last time 50 degrees with rain was described as nice weather? How often do tourists flock to destinations where it’s 100 degrees with suffocating humidity?
While it’s admittedly hard for even two people to agree on what ideal weather is, we’ve made an attempt to set up some goal posts and determine what parts of the United States have the most days with nice weather and which have the least.
The criteria we used make the assumption that people prefer days with moderately warm temperatures, at least partial sunshine, a light breeze, low humidity and no precipitation. In other words, we’re highlighting comfortable days that don’t require a jacket, when you don’t feel like you’re stepping into a sauna, and when you won’t get poured on or blown away. If you disagree, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯."

[Hschlick84]

Washington is on that list? Couldn't pay me enough to live there, 4 years was enough in the grey daze.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Washington is on that list? Couldn't pay me enough to live there, 4 years was enough in the grey daze.

Lol....I was thinking similar. To be fair, we do get a lot of nice days Jun-Sep.

But having Phoenix up there after the California coastal cities is probably about right, you get more good days than anywhere else in the US after Cali.

[locolife]

Pretty logical basis for their data, all points most of us who have lived outside of Phoenix know and appreciate.

High temperature between 65 and 85 degrees
Maximum dew point temperature less than or equal to 65 degrees
Peak daily wind (including gusts) less than 25 mph
Average daily cloud cover less than or equal to 65 percent
No measurable precipitation

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Tall Traveler

Lol....I was thinking similar. To be fair, we do get a lot of nice days Jun-Sep.

But having Phoenix up there after the California coastal cities is probably about right, you get more good days than anywhere else in the US after Cali.

Yet the CD forum is full of Phoenix weather posts, it’s mind boggling. We have one of the easiest climates to adapt to imo, I’ve done the Midwest, northeast and south and by far Phoenix weather has the least impact on all of my outdoor activities day in and day out. We get very predictable weather basically year round and even when it’s hot there’s destinations 30 degrees cooler within 100 miles.

I’m sure you experience the same in WA state, I’d consider the northwest the third easiest climate after Coastal CA and the desert Southwest.

[Skerzz]

Originally Posted by locolife

Yet the CD forum is full of Phoenix weather posts, it’s mind boggling. We have one of the easiest climates to adapt to imo, I’ve done the Midwest, northeast and south and by far Phoenix weather has the least impact on all of my outdoor activities day in and day out. We get very predictable weather basically year round and even when it’s hot there’s destinations 30 degrees cooler within 100 miles.

I’m sure you experience the same in WA state, I’d consider the northwest the third easiest climate after Coastal CA and the desert Southwest.

I’ve lived in Northern CA, San Diego, Portland, and now Phoenix. You are mistaken, I’d take the “mountain” weather of Northern California, Denver, Boise, SLC, over the pacific NW hands down (except for the months of July and August). Unless of course I was allergic to the sun in which case the PNW would be a good spot.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by locolife

Yet the CD forum is full of Phoenix weather posts, it’s mind boggling. We have one of the easiest climates to adapt to imo, I’ve done the Midwest, northeast and south and by far Phoenix weather has the least impact on all of my outdoor activities day in and day out. We get very predictable weather basically year round and even when it’s hot there’s destinations 30 degrees cooler within 100 miles.

I’m sure you experience the same in WA state, I’d consider the northwest the third easiest climate after Coastal CA and the desert Southwest.

The PNW isn't harsh or extreme, it's just gray and wet, some can deal with it quite well and some of us suffer....we have a winter home in Phoenix where we will winter when I retire in the next year.

I've had the fortune (good and bad) of living in the harshest of climates (Mongolia, Russia, Saudi, Kuwait, Portland) in the world as well as what I personally consider the best (Arequipa, Peru) which is never hot or cold and where you need neither ac or heater other than open or shut the window (that's the HVAC system) and it works very well.

The way I see Phoenix is that you get tons of sun, low wind generally, low humidity (all things I love) and you have 4-5 months of very hot weather to go swimming in.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Washington is on that list?

When people ask me why do you live in PHX versus FL 1/2 the year I've always given them the answer because of the total ideal weather days. This survey quantifies it.

But the survey didn't give their opinion on how grey it is for MONTHS on end nor did it discuss people roasting their arses off in the summer around PHX. It calculated the total ideal days per year. Fact: in the Tacoma area, there is a crap pot full of stunning days in the summer months. A smaller handful of days in the Spring and Fall. And a very small amount of ideal days in the winter.

Just as people have figured out a way to adapt in AZ year round, so have people in WA state. For me, I get p_ssed when it gets cloudy day after day. Therefore I get angry during the MN winters let alone WA. So for me, I could never ever live in WA during the cloudy months. But those summers? Oh la la! Mountains, + seafood + green + bug free + fresh air + beautiful views of the water. I get why the population growth of Seattle has been up 18% since 2010.

I'm in PHX area from late October till May 1st. I suspect I experience 174/180 ideal days!

The real head-scratcher for me is how many days they say are ideal in MN. I subjectively thought I experience 120/180 days of ideal weather during the months while I am here. But they say Minneapolis: 46 nice days???? I guess the dew-point must mess them up. But I am 3 hours north of the airport and the humidity is a lot less. Still, 46 nice days a year seems rather low.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

When people ask me why do you live in PHX versus FL 1/2 the year I've always given them the answer because of the total ideal weather days. This survey quantifies it.

But the survey didn't give their opinion on how grey it is for MONTHS on end nor did it discuss people roasting their arses off in the summer around PHX. It calculated the total ideal days per year. Fact: in the Tacoma area, there is a crap pot full of stunning days in the summer months. A smaller handful of days in the Spring and Fall. And a very small amount of ideal days in the winter.

Just as people have figured out a way to adapt in AZ year round, so have people in WA state. For me, I get p_ssed when it gets cloudy day after day. Therefore I get angry during the MN winters let alone WA. So for me, I could never ever live in WA during the cloudy months. But those summers? Oh la la! Mountains, + seafood + green + bug free + fresh air + beautiful views of the water. I get why the population growth of Seattle has been up 18% since 2010.

I'm in PHX area from late October till May 1st. I suspect I experience 174/180 ideal days!

The real head-scratcher for me is how many days they say are ideal in MN. I subjectively thought I experience 120/180 days of ideal weather during the months while I am here. But they say Minneapolis: 46 nice days???? I guess the dew-point must mess them up. But I am 3 hours north of the airport and the humidity is a lot less. Still, 46 nice days a year seems rather low.

I think their bar for nice days was pretty high. Seriously, from mid-October through March every day in Phoenix is nice. That's about 150. It does rain once in a while in there, but we locals, at least, love the few rainy ones we get just as much if not more.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I think their bar for nice days was pretty high. Seriously, from mid-October through March every day in Phoenix is nice. That's about 150. It does rain once in a while in there, but we locals, at least, love the few rainy ones we get just as much if not more.

Right...when you deal with extremes, the definition of a nice day can vary. Although I guess the article did admit that. I hated Fall in Washington because of all the rain and clouds, but ended up appreciating it with a few days of rain in the mix in Dallas. I feel like I may appreciate rainy days even more in Phoenix.