Southwest sun

[Synopsis]

The dry air heats up more rapidly in the summer months when the sun is at it's closest. Humid air doesn't heat as rapidly, so by the time the sun goes down in Florida, it hasn't had the opportunity to reach 100 degrees. If Phoenix had 60 percent humidity all of the time, you'd hardly see it warm up into the hundreds there either.

[EnjoyEP]

Yeah, Steve-O, you are absolutely right. I just lived 4 years or so in Albuquerque, which due to altitude is no where near as hot as Phoenix, but the sun just feels intensely hot in Albuquerque.

In the desert, I believe the reason the sun feels much hotter fully it is:

a) The lack of humidity - you'll see much brighter, bluer skies and the sun is just far, far less filtered in the SW by humidity...thus, the lack of a "filter" of humidity makes the sun feel much hotter in the desert...even high deserts.

b) The lack of clouds - in much of the rest of the country, generally there will be passing clouds most days to at least semi-additionally filter the sun.

c) The altitude. Granted, Phoenix barely has altitude (which is why it gets so doggone hot temperature-wise overall there), but even lower deserts like Tucson, Las Vegas, El Paso, etc., have much more altitude than most cities in the rest of the U.S. Thus, you literally are thousands of feet closer to the sun. In Albuquerque or Denver, you are a mile high to the sun. That is why I think often times 30 degrees in Denver with full sunshine may feel a bit warmer (although still cold) than a cloudy, gray 30 degree day in Milwaukee.

I guess it is all a tradeoff. In the shade, desert heat feels better than humid heat. But in the sunshine in the desert, yes, that sun can feel like a heat lamp times 10!

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by ken.k-la

However, I found the North East (Toronto area) to be more uncomfortable on the days it was muggy outside, even if it were above 85F. However, it is not ALWAYS like that.....

unlike the Gulf States.....that would be the ultimate hell.

Toronto's warm muggy days are the best!
I love each and every heat wave we get.

Too bad there's no place in Canada that averages around 90 F (32 C) and 50% humidity like the coastal Carolinas.



*Back to the title's topic

Have you ever looked at the sun on a clear day and noticed it has a halo?

Well when I travelled to Florida I saw the sun's halo was much smaller than where I'm from. That made it feel strangely hot when the air was cool, like the high 60's and low 70's. This halo got even smaller when I visited Puerto Rico.

I believe this halo is caused by thin, high altitude clouds and heard rumours that at high latitudes, clouds at 50,000 feet are either very common or omnipresent. That would explain the much larger northern halo.

So humidity probably plays a role on halo size as well as latitude. In the SW, they're almost as far south as northern FL, but with much less humidity so that could be why they have small sun halos.

Does this sound like the answer? I just think it's probably a good guess.

[ken.k-la]

[quote=ColdCanadian;1297342]Toronto's warm muggy days are the best!
I love each and every heat wave we get.

Too bad there's no place in Canada that averages around 90 F (32 C) and 50% humidity like the coastal Carolinas.


In the summer is what you mean, ahaha. I personally would prefer it to be around 90F to 100F (32C to 37C) and humidity no more than 40% (20 % prefered). I have never really looked at the sun's halo....usually try to avoid looking directly at the sun, ahaha

[ColdCanadian]

[quote=ken.k-la;1309766]

Originally Posted by ColdCanadian

In the summer is what you mean, ahaha.

I personally would prefer it to be around 90F to 100F (32C to 37C) and humidity no more than 40% (20 % prefered).

I have never really looked at the sun's halo....usually try to avoid looking directly at the sun, ahaha

LOL, yes...

Ya even Jamaica doesn't have an average annual temp of 90 F, hottest places probably between 87-89 F.

Most places with an annual high of 90 F or more aren't tropical places without a seasonal temperature change, but desert and semi-desert places like in Africa and India.



I believe once I have experienced mid 90's with humidity around 25%, but I don't really remember what that felt like. I'm most familiar with weather in the 90's having humidity between 35-65%.



I usually wear polarized sunglasses, and usually I'd see the halo from my peripheral vision, or only briefly, like a second or two directly at the sun's halo, also wearing sunglasses.

[CosmicWizard]

My wife & I recently spent a weekened in Silverton Colorado, which sits an an elevation of more than 9,000 ft. We both noticed that the sun felt more intense in Silverton even at a temp of just 75 degrees, compared to Grand Junction ( elev 4800 ) at a temp of 95. Any theories as to why the suns intenstity feels stronger in that situation?

blessings...Franco

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck

My wife & I recently spent a weekened in Silverton Colorado, which sits an an elevation of more than 9,000 ft. We both noticed that the sun felt more intense in Silverton even at a temp of just 75 degrees, compared to Grand Junction ( elev 4800 ) at a temp of 95.

Any theories as to why the suns intenstity feels stronger in that situation?

blessings...Franco

Smaller sun halo, due to less particles of any kind (water vapor , ozone, dirt etc.) in Earth's atmosphere between you and the sun.

Anyone else?

[NoMax]

i havent been to phoenix but when i was a teen i lived in the san fernando valley and i hated it. very very strong sun!
weirdly it feels cooler when you wear alot of clothes sometimes.