What are some myths about Phoenix weather? (Tucson, Scottsdale: how much, landscaping)

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by locolife

People in the midwest and east to think about water supply, snowfall isn't nearly as important to their water sources and in many areas the issue is too much water not enough. Like who really needs 10,000 lakes?

What it creates is issues with bugs, swamps, flooded basements, mold, etc... Too much of anything is never a good thing.

re: water. In nearly all of MN, the water table is typically at 10-14 feet. So if I dig down 12 feet, water is going to fill that hole.... Forever! In fact, I had a shallow well 11 feet deep using a "Sand point" with a pump to water our grass https://www.homedepot.com/p/Water-So...E&gclsrc=aw.ds .

In our county, we have 165 lakes. Ours is about 10,000 acres in size or about the size of Lake Pleasant. We have several restaurants and bars that you can boat up to. I hit a remote control and my boat lowers outside our home lake frontage. But you are right, no one needs 10,000 lakes. Frankly, been there done that. Living on a lake just isn't as important to me so my days are numbered. I'm rather happy boating on Bartlet or Saguaro Lake.

And you are also correct. There is a lot of standing water! Mosquitoes lay 100 eggs at a time. And they easily survive the entire warm season without water. When it rains a lot for a few days in a row, the standing water rises and millions hatch. It's why they joke that Minnesota's state bird is the mosquito. But THE worst amount of mosquitos (by a factor of 10x) was in the rainy season of Alaska.

Back to PHX weather myths and tieing that into the topic of bugs. It's plenty wet here to have mosquitoes and even a batch of two annoying house flies. Though, the mosquitoes are tiny in comparison to Northern climates. And they seem harder to slap. They are more prevalent from July to September during the monsoon season.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

re: water. In nearly all of MN, the water table is typically at 10-14 feet. So if I dig down 12 feet, water is going to fill that hole.... Forever! In fact, I had a shallow well 11 feet deep using a "Sand point" with a pump to water our grass https://www.homedepot.com/p/Water-So...E&gclsrc=aw.ds .

In our county, we have 165 lakes. Ours is about 10,000 acres in size or about the size of Lake Pleasant. We have several restaurants and bars that you can boat up to. I hit a remote control and my boat lowers outside our home lake frontage. But you are right, no one needs 10,000 lakes. Frankly, been there done that. Living on a lake just isn't as important to me so my days are numbered. I'm rather happy boating on Bartlet or Saguaro Lake.

And you are also correct. There is a lot of standing water! Mosquitoes lay 100 eggs at a time. And they easily survive the entire warm season without water. When it rains a lot for a few days in a row, the standing water rises and millions hatch. It's why they joke that Minnesota's state bird is the mosquito. But THE worst amount of mosquitos (by a factor of 10x) was in the rainy season of Alaska.

Back to PHX weather myths and tieing that into the topic of bugs. It's plenty wet here to have mosquitoes and even a batch of two annoying house flies. Though, the mosquitoes are tiny in comparison to Northern climates. And they seem harder to slap. They are more prevalent from July to September during the monsoon season.

Yeah, I do get all that, I've spent tons of time in the Midwest. I was just pointing out that water scarcity concerns don't really factor into life out there, in fact it's nearly the opposite in many places where flooding/bugs/mold are more problematic with so much rain and water prominent.

I have ran into some mosquitoes here as well, I once got annoyed then I took a trip back to New England to see friends, out on a hike we could not stop without nonstop black flies surrounding us. I stopped complaining about the few months a few bugs can be annoying here after that.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by badbob85037

I get a kick of these people saying Phoenix isn't that hot. Those people jump in their air conditioned car and drive to their air conditioned office.

I'm not going to say it's not hot but it is quite livable, for me more livable than a cold or humid climate. I adjust for about 15 weeks of the year but I still get out on the trails 3-4 days a week on a year-round basis year. Healthier life, quieter trails in the summer, during a super hot stretch I'm smarter and keep things a little shorter to avoid any issues.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I'm definitely in agreement here. In fact, I recently made that region (northern Idaho) my early summer vacation destination. There are bugs, but not enough to prevent enjoying the outdoors. It actually rains there in the early summer ... not excessively, but enough to dampen the soils, keep the temperatures relatively cool, and the air fresh & clean. All the snow in the winter contributes to why it's so green in the spring & much of the summer, and why there is an abundance of waterways/fishing. To my earlier point: these are benefits to a region. All the snow in CA & AZ this winter will serve as a huge benefit, which was severely lacking in recent winters. But our blazing summer heat: what does that offer? I can't think of anything beneficial to that.

You visited Idaho during the best time of the year and you're also assuming every summer is the same. One it's not that nice year-round, all the green is gone now. And it's not usually that wet during the summer, they can have horrible fires, like everywhere summers can vary but they're usually quite dry.


We likely have more rainy summer days in Arizona forests than they do in Idaho.

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by frankrj

I've been there a few summers from 05-09. I remember those 118 and 117 days and it never snowed during the yrs I was there. It got down to maybe the high 40s and low 50s.
It was not a myth for Chandler, Queen Creek, Ahwatukee and nearby residents. Nor was the 90 degree summer nights or 95 daytime highs in December.
Because it is not reported in data does not mean it didn't happen. It's not something you forget.

It’s never been 95 in December in the Valley officially or unofficially. The record high for Sky Harbor in December is 88 degrees set 72 years ago.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by new2colo

It’s never been 95 in December in the Valley officially or unofficially. The record high for Sky Harbor in December is 88 degrees set 72 years ago.

The heat can be greatly exaggerated, as the post you're responding to would lead people to believe 90s in December is a regular occurrence when in reality it's never happened. Another one is people who think their car temperature is accurate. It's pretty hysterical sometimes. I had a reading of 134 degrees once in Las Vegas.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by locolife

You visited Idaho during the best time of the year and you're also assuming every summer is the same. One it's not that nice year-round, all the green is gone now. And it's not usually that wet during the summer, they can have horrible fires, like everywhere summers can vary but they're usually quite dry.


We likely have more rainy summer days in Arizona forests than they do in Idaho.

I'm well aware of all this, which is why June is when I go to northern Idaho & Montana. Even June can have sudden hot spells (as was the case in 2021), but most of the time it's ideal. The summer monsoon usually doesn't reach that far north, and you're correct that Arizona's forested areas often receive more rain in the summer (specifically July & August), and are greener as a result. This is why I make Greer a vacation spot in August. It's generally on the cool side, and the fire threat is greatly reduced by then in most years.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I'm well aware of all this, which is why June is when I go to northern Idaho & Montana. Even June can have sudden hot spells (as was the case in 2021), but most of the time it's ideal. The summer monsoon usually doesn't reach that far north, and you're correct that Arizona's forested areas often receive more rain in the summer (specifically July & August), and are greener as a result. This is why I make Greer a vacation spot in August. It's generally on the cool side, and the fire threat is greatly reduced by then in most years.

Yep, every place has it's pluses and minuses. I haven't found a place I'd personally trade for Phoenix considering the full picture of my preferences for a warm/dry/sunny climate and interest in diverse nearby landscapes plus the reality of a reasonable COL.

[Maroon197]

Originally Posted by locolife

The heat can be greatly exaggerated, as the post you're responding to would lead people to believe 90s in December is a regular occurrence when in reality it's never happened. Another one is people who think their car temperature is accurate. It's pretty hysterical sometimes. I had a reading of 134 degrees once in Las Vegas.

It gets into the 80s in December. Not only is that still a hot summertime temperature anywhere else in the country, but it’s also psychologically oppressive when you’ve already spent countless months enduring extreme heat. Winter seems like it should give you a break, so hot temperatures during the holidays just feel extra soul crushing. Stop trying to pretend like our extreme climate is no big deal. You’re either in denial or not being honest. Either way it’s not helpful to people who want a realistic understanding of our weather.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

It gets into the 80s in December. Not only is that still a hot summertime temperature anywhere else in the country, but it’s also psychologically oppressive when you’ve already spent countless months enduring extreme heat. Winter seems like it should give you a break, so hot temperatures during the holidays just feel extra soul crushing. Stop trying to pretend like our extreme climate is no big deal. You’re either in denial or not being honest. Either way it’s not helpful to people who want a realistic understanding of our weather.

Ain't nobody around here complaining about December except that it is too cold in the morning. The couple of times if has been 80s are early in the month. The coldest temps of the year, on average, occur during the Christmas holidays. Soul crushing? LOL. October is the soul crushing, cruelest, month when it just refuses to cool off.