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Hi,
My husband and I are originally from Michigan, moved to Wyoming for 5 years and are now in Arizona because a warmer climate is better for my husband. We are living in Kearny and while we love the area, it is just way too hot for us in the summer. We are considering relocating to Prescott, but would like to know more about the area. We aren’t afraid of some cold and snow, but don’t want it to the degree we had it in MI/WY. We know it is a trade off to escape from the Phoenix area/Central Arizona heat. Another reason we are looking into Prescott is because there are several WELS Lutheran churches within a reasonable distance. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. We do plan on making visits to the area once this COVID-19 crisis is over. Thanks.
The weather here is some 15-22° cooler than the Phoenix metro area in the summers.
Historically we can get some more moderate snows here but for the most part we get a smaller amount, like 2-6" per event and it melts quickly.
Of course there are exceptions. In Feb of 2019 in Prescott Valley (right next to Prescott) I measured nearly 20" of the stuff and it did stick around for a while and it was pretty wet.
If I remember correctly 88° is the average high for the summers but I have seen temps hit 100° here but it does not last long.
When we first moved up here some 12 years ago we lived in SW Prescott and we found we got more snow in that location than most of Prescott. In fact on one occasion I measured 11" of snow at my rental but in driving North through Prescott the amount diminished rapidly. There are always exceptions to the rule for snow. I think one event that i read about in 1956 dropped some 6' of snow on Prescott
At that point we lived within 1 mile of the courthouse square and found traffic problems and closures with events there that we had to learn to get around in the warmer months.
So, after nearly 5 years in SW Prescott and with the real estate market hitting lows we purchased yet another home in North Prescott Valley. Less traffic, although with the recent homebuilding in the area that's getting worse, and less snow than Prescott overall.
And note that Prescott has some changing elevations that effect the amount of snow and quite a few hills than can make getting around a little tough at times whereas PV is pretty flat making travel with snow pretty easy.
We have lived in Safford, Sierra Vista, Tucson and now up here and this is the best climate and such we have found.
Good luck with your search.
Thank you. Having lived in the Cody Wyoming area we are familiar with the difference that location and elevation can have. We lived about 16 miles SW of Cody. It wasn’t unusual for us to have several inches of snow and they would have little to none in town. We don’t mind some snow as long as it doesn’t stick around for weeks/months at a time. Had enough of that!
I guess some questions would be
1. on average how much snow does Prescott have each year? I realize that location to town and elevation plays a factor.
2. What is a realistic expectation for average highs/lows December through March? We know it can get up to 100 in the summer, but it doesn’t sound like it stays that hot for weeks at a time. And with the cooler nights we would think that would make it more tolerable?
3. What are services like: dental, vision, basic healthcare, veternarian, etc.? My husband sees a specialist in Phoenix for his specific health issue and would continue to do so after a move.
4. We are newly retired so employment isn’t a concern. We enjoy spending time outside though hiking long distances isn’t possible for my hubby. Are there any trails, areas that we could enjoy with his limited mobility? We also would like to get back into fishing. Do you have to have a boat to fish on the area lakes or are there spots from shore/dock to fish?
5. Is there a decent lumber yard in the area? My husband likes to do a little woodworking and work prefer to go somewhere other than Home Depot or Lowes. Same for hardware stores.
6. From what I can find, it looks like the air quality in the Prescott area is much better than we have in Kearny. Would you agree that the air quality is good? We lived in Cody Wyoming for 5 year so we are very familiar with the affects that wildfires have on air quality. Are there any active mines in the area that impact air quality?
7. Would there be any reason why someone should not consider the Prescott area?
The weather here is some 15-22° cooler than the Phoenix metro area in the summers.
Historically we can get some more moderate snows here but for the most part we get a smaller amount, like 2-6" per event and it melts quickly.
Of course there are exceptions. In Feb of 2019 in Prescott Valley (right next to Prescott) I measured nearly 20" of the stuff and it did stick around for a while and it was pretty wet.
If I remember correctly 88° is the average high for the summers but I have seen temps hit 100° here but it does not last long.
When we first moved up here some 12 years ago we lived in SW Prescott and we found we got more snow in that location than most of Prescott. In fact on one occasion I measured 11" of snow at my rental but in driving North through Prescott the amount diminished rapidly. There are always exceptions to the rule for snow. I think one event that i read about in 1956 dropped some 6' of snow on Prescott
At that point we lived within 1 mile of the courthouse square and found traffic problems and closures with events there that we had to learn to get around in the warmer months.
So, after nearly 5 years in SW Prescott and with the real estate market hitting lows we purchased yet another home in North Prescott Valley. Less traffic, although with the recent homebuilding in the area that's getting worse, and less snow than Prescott overall.
And note that Prescott has some changing elevations that effect the amount of snow and quite a few hills than can make getting around a little tough at times whereas PV is pretty flat making travel with snow pretty easy.
We have lived in Safford, Sierra Vista, Tucson and now up here and this is the best climate and such we have found.
Good luck with your search.
I remember you saying that you didn't like the wind and the number of illegals passing through SV and we are considering retiring in a few locations with SV and Prescott being at the top of our list. It seems to me that SV has a better climate than Prescott because it is 10F warmer in January but only a few degrees warmer in the summer than PV so it seems milder. I do agree the lower wind speeds on average in Prescott make that part better for Prescott but does that also make the air quality worse in Prescott? This is a big concern for us because wife has very bad asthma. If you don't mind could you just give me your evaluations of the climate of SV versus Prescott and your thoughts on their respective air quality? Do you get much forest fire and smoke in Prescott?
I definitely think Prescott is prettier than SV but SV is considerably cheaper and I like the temps there a lot.
We moved to the Prescott/Prescott Valley area from Hereford, just a few miles from SV at the base of the mountains while my wife worked for the forest service and retired from there.
We got tired of the illegals and drug trafficking coming through the area and our acreage all the time.
The Border Patrol was so overwhelmed at times they just quit arresting/detaining them as they had no further transportation for them.
And the Sheriff of Cochise County at the time was my wife's cousin and he had trouble getting the feds to cough up with money for keeping those that he had in custody. During that period there were some 300k+ coming through the borders annually.
We moved to the Prescott/Prescott Valley area from Hereford, just a few miles from SV at the base of the mountains while my wife worked for the forest service and retired from there.
We got tired of the illegals and drug trafficking coming through the area and our acreage all the time.
The Border Patrol was so overwhelmed at times they just quit arresting/detaining them as they had no further transportation for them.
And the Sheriff of Cochise County at the time was my wife's cousin and he had trouble getting the feds to cough up with money for keeping those that he had in custody. During that period there were some 300k+ coming through the borders annually.
When I ran the air quality comparison on the American Lung Association, SV came out ahead so considering my wife's asthma, that is a huge mark in favor of SV. The crime in SV is pretty close to Prescott from what I can gather.
Was the wind the main reason you liked Prescott climate better?
Much cooler and less wind for starters.
Also note that SV is a military town and has some problems that go with it. Fort Huachuca was my first duty station in 1967.
I also found that blowing dust could be a problem there with the wind and I don't find that in the Prescott area too much.
Also, it's not up to date, but this will give you some WX history of Prescott. https://www.weather.gov/media/wrh/on...TMs/TM-274.pdf
By the way, my wife was born and raised in Tombstone and that general area, so we are very familiar with SV, Hereford and that general area. As such, while I was in the Army in the 60s we lived in SV and then later in the 90s while she worked/retired from the Forest Service we again lived in the SV area and Hereford, the non existent town (area now) that adjoins SV.
I guess some questions would be
1. on average how much snow does Prescott have each year? I realize that location to town and elevation plays a factor.
2. What is a realistic expectation for average highs/lows December through March? We know it can get up to 100 in the summer, but it doesn’t sound like it stays that hot for weeks at a time. And with the cooler nights we would think that would make it more tolerable?
3. What are services like: dental, vision, basic healthcare, veternarian, etc.? My husband sees a specialist in Phoenix for his specific health issue and would continue to do so after a move.
4. We are newly retired so employment isn’t a concern. We enjoy spending time outside though hiking long distances isn’t possible for my hubby. Are there any trails, areas that we could enjoy with his limited mobility? We also would like to get back into fishing. Do you have to have a boat to fish on the area lakes or are there spots from shore/dock to fish?
5. Is there a decent lumber yard in the area? My husband likes to do a little woodworking and work prefer to go somewhere other than Home Depot or Lowes. Same for hardware stores.
6. From what I can find, it looks like the air quality in the Prescott area is much better than we have in Kearny. Would you agree that the air quality is good? We lived in Cody Wyoming for 5 year so we are very familiar with the affects that wildfires have on air quality. Are there any active mines in the area that impact air quality?
7. Would there be any reason why someone should not consider the Prescott area?
Thanks.
Here are some answers for you...
1. We get a handful of snow storms each year. Most are a couple of inches. A few might be 6-10 inches. The cities are very good at clearing the roads quickly. In general, we get enough snow to be pretty and inspiring, but not enough to be annoying. Mostly the snow melts quickly.
2. Temps are generally (High/Low): Winter - 40-60/0-40; Spring/Fall - 50-80/40-65; Summer 80-100/50-70.
3. There are plenty of dentists, optometrists, and veterinarians. Doctors are a little harder to come by. You may need to apply and wait a few weeks before becoming a patient for a particular doctor. There are plenty of urgent care clinics, and the hospitals are quick if you have an emergency.
4. There are miles and miles of hiking trails. There are some that are fairly wide and flat. You do not need a boat to fish. There are four different lakes where you can fish from the shore or a dock.
5. There are a few hardware stores besides Home Depot and Lowes. There's a place called Artizan Woodworker's Supply that might meet your needs.
6. Prescott continually ranks among the cities with the best air quality. There are no mines that put anything into the air. The only issue you might have are occasional controlled burns. If you have allergies, they might be inflamed by the juniper trees mating in the spring.
7. The primary reasons that we see people leaving Prescott are either 1) they can no longer breathe at this altitude, or 2) they want to be closer to their children. So if you have any breathing issues or require oxygen, then you might want to reconsider. If you are ageing and want to be closer to your children, then you might want to reconsider.
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