Phoenix Shatters Record--19 Days of 110+F (Tempe, Williams: transplants, home, landscaping)

[thrillobyte]

Originally Posted by KO Stradivarius

Unaware of what? If your AC breaks down, then you do have a problem, and you better get it fixed ASAP.

I'm much older than 50, not in perfect health, and while I won't be working outside very much and stay indoors a little more, I can at least walk to and from my AC house to my AC car. My wife who's a year younger has a job where she must walk around outside a fair amount and does fine. Really the outdoor temp doesn't affect daily life much unless you want to golf, go hiking, etc.

So let me understand: the Phoenix forecast is 118 today and tomorrow and yet your wife will have no problem getting out in 118F walking around commercial shops and to and from large parking lots where the asphalt gets hot enough to fry an egg? She must be impervious to the heat. I won't live in Phoenix because I have a sister that would love to put me out on asphalt and fry me. Needless to say we're not close.

[KurtAZ]

Meh...it is just a thing we deal with living here. Things happen and yes, it has been more hot this year, I think we beat the record average temp yesterday at 108° (average between High and Low) and this 110°+ streak sucks but, you deal with it. If your AC breaks you are in trouble. If you can't get out of the heat, you are in trouble. Shade is your friend as are cooling gaiters. You ever wonder why the folks who work outside are wearing long sleeves and pants? Insulation and sun protection. I used to have a SSGT in the military that would bundle up with sweatshirts and multiple layers when we went into the field in the summer to regulate his body temperature in the heat. That and hydration is key.

There is an old saying in Phoenix..."If you can't stand our summers, you don't deserve our winters" Everyone complains about the heat, it is the time we always talk about moving every year, but then October and November roll around and it is all good for another 6 months or so.

[Phil P]

I think many people can figure out how not to die, but if you can't spend more than a hour outside and enjoy things, it might as well be -20 Minnesota, functionally the same experience. At least you wouldn't get sunburned.

With cold places you get a discount for living there, Phoenix is $$$ expensive and has an entire season of 90+ days where you can't even sit out at night and look at the stars (if you could see them through the light pollution). What bozo pay a premium to live with this? I guess there's whole swaths of people that will literally wither and die if they see a snowflake in the air. The rest of AZ has a better climate than Phoenix, I cannot figure out why the states population is not more evenly distributed with places like Winslow and Safford and Eagar being bigger and Phoenix just being another one of the cities. That's how it was when it was Native - they didn't all cluster into one spot and sprawl out so much to create an additional 4F heat island effect.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by Phil P

if you can't spend more than a hour outside and enjoy things, it might as well be -20 Minnesota, functionally the same experience.

That's largely true. The main differentiator is that a Phoenician never has to deal with snow/ice on the roads and sidewalks. It is a tradeoff... for enduring roughly three months of hell, one gets quite a pleasant time from November through April, and no snow.

With that said, however, let's be honest... hell is hell. Phoenix summers are not roughly the same as most of the Western U.S. There are cities where the daytime highs will frequently exceed 100 F, but the early morning temperatures are in the 60s or 70s and most of the morning is nice enough to go biking/golf/hiking/etc. Then in the winter months one throws on a jacket and does outdoor activities in the afternoon.

[mborner]

Originally Posted by KO Stradivarius

Of course people keep the AC going 24/7, but that doesn't mean it runs continuously 24/7 without turning off before it cycles back on. If it runs continuously then either your AC unit isn't operating correctly, your thermostat is set too low, or your house has leaky windows, etc. Does anyone with AC actually ever turn it off in the summer, like for a few hours. Nope.

Actually, a properly sized air conditioning system, using Manual J calculations, is designed to run continuously on the hottest days of the year. Generally, if it's 116 degrees outside and your A/C is cycling on and off, your system is too large for the house. Here in Florida, it would not be on long enough to remove humidity from your home.

[KO Stradivarius]

Originally Posted by mborner

Actually, a properly sized air conditioning system, using Manual J calculations, is designed to run continuously on the hottest days of the year. Generally, if it's 116 degrees outside and your A/C is cycling on and off, your system is too large for the house. Here in Florida, it would not be on long enough to remove humidity from your home.

I heard that it was bad for an AC unit to run continuously? And since the Phx area is not humid, maybe it is by design that they upsize the unit so that it doesn't need to run as much, especially since we do have many hot days, yet can still remove sufficient humidity?

[KO Stradivarius]

Originally Posted by thrillobyte

So let me understand: the Phoenix forecast is 118 today and tomorrow and yet your wife will have no problem getting out in 118F walking around commercial shops and to and from large parking lots where the asphalt gets hot enough to fry an egg? She must be impervious to the heat. I won't live in Phoenix because I have a sister that would love to put me out on asphalt and fry me. Needless to say we're not close.

Let me help you understand:

I said that my wife can "walk around outside (at her job) a fair amount and does fine". Truly. She does not complain. Take it for it's worth as an anecdote.

Regarding "to and from large parking lots where the asphalt gets hot enough to fry an egg" isn't really a big deal like you seem to think. You don't live in Phoenix so let me tell you that your shoes actually do protect your feet very well, thank you, when walking 75-100 yards on pavement. It's not like the planet Venus. Some people who don't live here seem to think that it is.

Although I have heard that dog owners do need to avoid walking their dogs on hot pavement at times. Or use doggy booties (seriously, they need shoes too).

I will give you that we won't be "walking around commercial shops" outdoors. This isn't really a thing in Phoenix in the summer very much, except maybe on somewhat cooler evenings, relatively speaking of course.

Phoenix isn't for everyone, so I get that many people see the high temp numbers and cannot fathom that they could actually tolerate living here, especially after some acclimation. We are from the upper Midwest, and I actually do leave the house often and have not melted.

[ddeemo]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

You seem to be not very aware.

The temperatures here in Sun City West have been 116-119 for quite a few days now.

Age 50. You do realize that people in Sun City and Sun City West are mostly well above age 50.

AC does break down.

So they are not "very aware" because they do not take into account for an AC breakdown?

It may be above 110 during the max temps of the day but early and late it is much cooler and below 90 overnight. Also the low humidity makes it much less of an issue.

You do realize that Sun City is just a small part of the area and Sun City as a 50+ community has more than a few places to go to if the AC does break down.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by ddeemo

It may be above 110 during the max temps of the day but early and late it is much cooler and below 90 overnight.

Not if one lives in the city. The lowest temperature Phoenix has seen in the past 10 days is 91 F. The overnight low on Wednesday was 97 F. Yesterday evening it did not drop below 110 until about 9 pm.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Same way we always do. AC in the house to AC in the car to AC in the store/workplace to AC in the car to AC in the house. God Bless Willis Carrier.

Indeed. There should be a statue of him downtown.