Are summers in Tucson really that bad? (Phoenix, Tempe: fit in, crime)

[Millenial Hippy]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

Note that Tucson is generally affected more by the monsoons than Phoenix, and thus will often be more humid despite the cooler temperature. Don't fall for the myth that Phoenix is more humid due to development; official NOAA records show Tucson having a higher average humidity.

Also, if you decide on Tucson, be warned that compared to Phoenix, Tucson has a higher portion of homes equipped only with swamp coolers instead of air conditioning, since builders in Tucson were slower to make the switch to air conditioning. Be sure to look for a house with air conditioning if you decide to rent or buy.

Oh of course. I wouldn't want to roast to death

[Saguarogirl507]

I spent part of August last summer in my house and I will again this coming August. It is very hot. I was surprised how humid it was as well. I swam very early in the morning and early evening. The rest of the day we stayed in. It was too hot to go out. And getting in and out of the car is a tricky operation in itself! I still love it there though.

[Prickly Pear]

lol

[jlawrence01]

I do not find the heat in Green Valley to be all that oppressive during the summer months, even in May and June. We run the AC only between 10 am-5 pm and open the windows after dark. We close the windows at 10 am. We close all shades on the eastern exposure at dawn.


I sit outside with my beverage in a shaded area and it is not uncomfortable most of the day. The sun will bake you so you have to stay in the shade.


During the monsoon season, the temperature drops about 20F as soon as the rain starts falling.


Honestly, it was a lot worse in St. Louis and Columbia, SC.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Racking7

Hmmmm: I don't know what to do now. I've been coming to AZ for 15 years now (all times of the year) to the Phoenix area with trips to Tucson. I've been to Phoenix in July in 110 degree heat the whole time we were there and didn't really feel any humidity. I'd sit under the covered patio with a fan until 11 and then stay inside until around 6 or so. I loved it because you could sit outside all night with no mosquitos attacking you. We purposely went in July to see if we could stand the summers.

After a much anticipated wait I'm finally ready to make the move to AZ. However, we decided on Tucson. I knew it would be warmer but didn't know there would be months of humidity. I don't think I could stand that. I visited my brother in TX with those conditions and it was brutal.

Tucson is so much cheaper than anywhere in Phoenix all the way to Sedona. For those who like Tucson - should I stick to my plan or try to find something doable in the Phoenix area?

I currently live in PA and would easily trade 3 plus months of snow, ice and cold plus a couple of months of hot and humid for a few months of hot and humid.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "humidity". I would suspect that the average relative humidity in most of Texas is higher. Yes, from late June through September in Tucson and Phoenix it is more humid than the rest of the year. Tucson gets a bit more actual rain from its monsoon season than Phoenix does, which actually provides some cooling and makes the monsoon season more bearable than in Phoenix, where often it's wind and dust and higher humidity but not much rain. If you did not notice humidity in Phoenix in July, the humidity in Tucson may not be at a level that's bothersome to you (unless the time you were in Phoenix was an atypically dry period). I wouldn't scrap your Tucson plan based on what you've read here. If you have the opportunity for an extended summer visit before making the move, do it.

[Millenial Hippy]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

I do not find the heat in Green Valley to be all that oppressive during the summer months, even in May and June. We run the AC only between 10 am-5 pm and open the windows after dark. We close the windows at 10 am. We close all shades on the eastern exposure at dawn.


I sit outside with my beverage in a shaded area and it is not uncomfortable most of the day. The sun will bake you so you have to stay in the shade.


During the monsoon season, the temperature drops about 20F as soon as the rain starts falling.


Honestly, it was a lot worse in St. Louis and Columbia, SC.

And is GV similar/close to Tucson?

[Bummer]

As I have posted many times before . . .

There is no PERFECT PLACE TO LIVE, but after living in a number of Cities / Towns around this country over the years and considering The Bugs, The Humidity as well as the Temperatures (both Summer and Winter) . . . without a doubt, TUCSON WINS.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Millenial Hippy

And is GV similar/close to Tucson?

It's about 20 miles south of Tucson, a bunch of golf courses and retired people, with about 24,000 people residing there. The reason it is "slightly" cooler than Tucson, a lot less people (less concrete/asphalt) and it's about 3,000 ft. above sea level, where the valley Tucson sits in, is at 2,400 feet. As you drive south, even southeast from Tucson, the elevation increases as you go toward the border with Mexico. Think of Phoenix (~1,086 ft above sea level) as the bottom of a bowl as you go north, east and south/southeast from there the elevation increases. You don't really notice driving from Phoenix to Tucson or vice versa that you are increasing and decreasing almost 1,400 ft. since it's over a long distance which makes it very gradual.

[beckerd2]

cjseliga is correct about the temp difference with Green Valley and Tucson. Sahuarita, which is in between Tucson and Green Valley is a little bit cooler as well. In the rural areas of Sahuarita (where I have a home), we were always about 5 degrees cooler than Tucson.
The heat is tolerable in the summer if you stay in the shade, wear a hat (especially having one of those hats with a flap for your neck....like this one http://www.amazon.com/ADAMS-HEADWEAR-EXTREME-CONDITION-HAT/dp/B007ZH3EF4/ref=cts_ap_2_fbt ) and carry water with you whenever you drive.


Good thing about the Tucson area is that you don't have to worry about haboobs which come up often during the monsoon season. They usually occur starting at Picacho Peak off of I-10 and head north into Phoenix. Here is a link for one that happened last year to Phoenix.
Haboob Wind Storm Blankets Phoenix Area With Choking Red Dust - NBC News


Let me tell you....they are HORRIBLE to be in especially if your driving. You have idiots stopping on the road while the rest of the idiots go 80 mph so that they can get through the mess quickly. Lots of wrecks happen.

[Serenity1944]

Phoenix pollution bothered me the last few years I was there (20 yrs). Tucson air was worth the move. Your body will get acclimated to our bouts of humidity. My entire family is in Pgh but I stay here - so nice to go out and get in the vehicle and drive without shoveling snow. Your car will stay clean longer. I have a covered parking space, wash it just with water every few months, and if rains, gets dusty. I take my pickup for a good wash and wax periodically.

I can't remember if we touched on your windshield. Get a good windshield cover, I have the dealer carpet on my dashboard too. In San Antonio, when my new car was 3-4 years old, there was a crack in the dashboard and another in the steering column from the heat, was sorry I did not use a windshield cover. My Toyota pickup is 2003, still in good condition.