How HOT can N Scottsdale get at night? (Phoenix: to live, eat)

[ajgranda]

Hi,

Planning a trip out there in Sept to look at some properties. A friend who lives in Scottsdale mentioned that last summer there were evenings when the temperatures remained in the 90s. Is that true? I thought it dropped into the 70s at night in the summer.

Thanks

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by ajgranda

Hi,

Planning a trip out there in Sept to look at some properties. A friend who lives in Scottsdale mentioned that last summer there were evenings when the temperatures remained in the 90s. Is that true? I thought it dropped into the 70s at night in the summer.

Thanks

It depends on what month it is. In May and June, when skies are generally cloudless, temperatures drop 20 degress or more at night. In July and August, however, the humidity means less of a temperature drop, and nightime lows in the 90s are not unheard of.

It is generally believed that something called the "urban heat island" effect is making this phenomenon more significant. As more of the desert is converted to concrete and stucco, the ground tends to absorb heat rather than reflecting it. As a result, the ground retains the heat during the night.

In North Scottsdale, where you've indicated an intent to live, the problem is probably somewhat less severe than in the heart of the Phoenix Metro Area. Nevertheless, as North Scottsdale becomes increasingly developed and approaches its eventual build-out, I think it's likely that the heat island will fully envelop it. There may still be a slight advantage due to elevation, but it will probably mean the difference between 90 degrees and 95 degrees rather than the difference between 70 degrees and 95 degrees.

The bottom line is that the first half of the summer is usually comfortable in the evening; the second half can be fairly brutal no matter where one lives in the Phoenix Metro Area.

[Steve-o]

Ive been there in late September and had nights with the lows in the 90s. One August the low (according to my FILs Jeep) was 103.

[ajgranda]

Thanks for the replies. We had some night time temps here in the N/E in the low 80s with high humidity 80-90% during the month of Aug. I hope Scottsdale doesnt feel anymore uncomfortable than that, I wouldnt be able to stand it.

[Steve-o]

Its dry, but hotter. Sounds like you dont like heat. If thats the case, youd be miserable in AZ 6 months of the year, just letting you know. Winters are nice, 40-50-60-some 70s. There will be about 5 months of straight hot sunshine in summer, with some raising humidities when the summer storms arrive (wrongly called "monsoons"), but nothing like back east.

[JBrown]

I took a 2 weeek course in Phoenix in July. It was a held at a nice resort with a pool with a swim up bar. I spent a lot of time there and noticed that often during the last call at mid-night the thermometer at the bar was still reading well over 100 deg. For many many reasons I wouldn't live anywhere's near Phoenix.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by JBrown

I took a 2 weeek course in Phoenix in July. It was a held at a nice resort with a pool with a swim up bar. I spent a lot of time there and noticed that often during the last call at mid-night the thermometer at the bar was still reading well over 100 deg. For many many reasons I wouldn't live anywhere's near Phoenix.

I guess you forgot that it was 1-2 am and you were stilll swimming in comfortable temps. You probably also missed the fact that the mosquitos weren't eating you alive. Some people like those things.

[Cj81]

Summer nights are very warm in Phoenix but hey, nothing beats swimming at night when you don't have to worry about a sunburn. I actually really like the warm summer nights. Oh and Steve-O , Monsoon actually means "a seasonal shift in wind direction". So during our Monsoon season that is exactly what happens, the seasonal winds shift causing AZ to draw moist tropical air out of the Gulf of Mexico. Once that moist air combines with an unstable low pressure system ( usually caused by excessive heat) BAM!! we get intense thunderstorms also called monsoon's after the season. So they are not wrongly called monsoons. They really are monsoons, sorry.

[Steve-o]

Well, you guys use it to mark the rainy season, not a change in wind direction. So yes, the term, used in AZ slang, is technically incorrect. True monsoons are Asian, and FAR worse than the measely rainfall AZ gets.

mon·soon /mɒnˈsun/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mon-soon] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1. the seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter.
2. (in India and nearby lands) the season during which the southwest monsoon blows, commonly marked by heavy rains; rainy season.
3. any wind that changes directions with the seasons.
4. any persistent wind established between water and adjoining land.


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[Origin: 1575–85; < D monssoen (now obs.) < Pg monção, earlier moução < Ar mawsim season]

[aj661]

Originally Posted by Cj81

Summer nights are very warm in Phoenix but hey, nothing beats swimming at night when you don't have to worry about a sunburn. I actually really like the warm summer nights. Oh and Steve-O , Monsoon actually means "a seasonal shift in wind direction". So during our Monsoon season that is exactly what happens, the seasonal winds shift causing AZ to draw moist tropical air out of the Gulf of Mexico. Once that moist air combines with an unstable low pressure system ( usually caused by excessive heat) BAM!! we get intense thunderstorms also called monsoon's after the season. So they are not wrongly called monsoons. They really are monsoons, sorry.

There is no such thing as excessive heat