Is there any part of Arizona that's not 110 degrees? (Phoenix: place to live, cost of living)

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by JillBoBill

This is very strange. My idea of a nice summer is in the 80's. Tops. On a bad day. You guys are squabbling over WHEN it gets to be 100. The fact that it ever gets that hot is just nasty. How do you handle it? Don't you get cabin fever being locked up in your houses all day, afraid if you leave you'll instantly melt on the pavement? And it's not even like Arizona has a beach you can go to (not like CA).

Maybe we should just stick to Colorado.

The difference is our humidity: 95F in Wash DC is much more unpleasant than 105F here in the Phx area......at least in the shade

Hell: again in the shade, I am almost chilled when it is below 80-85F @ 10% humidity.

[mortimer]

Pippi333 reported:

> > ... It's never been 100 degrees in January in Phoenix.

> My mistake, looks like it was March/April.

Earliest 100 degree day on record: April 6th, 1989.

Earliest 90 degree day on record: Feb 2nd, 1963

It is possible for the high temperature to be at least 80 degrees any day of the year.

Note that for Pippi333's March/April trip it is certainly possible that she was located somewhere where the temperature at that location on that day could have been 100 degrees while the *official* Phoenix high temperature for that day was 'only' 98/99 degrees or so.

[El General]

I lived in Rio Rico for four years--never had A/c, nor an electric bill over 90 bucks for a 3 bedroom house. It's at 4300 feet--the elevation is what makes the difference; not the latitude. It's in Santa Cruz Country. If you want upscale--check out Patagonia (great schools) or Sonoita Creek. You will rarely have a need to drive 50 miles to Tucson.

[El General]

I think the earliest day on record for 100F in Phx is March 1.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by El General

I think the earliest day on record for 100F in Phx is March 1.

March 26, 1988 is the earliest 100. Average is May 13.

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

March 26, 1988 is the earliest 100. Average is May 13.

In Yuma, 2004, I believe, it hit 103 on the second weekend of March. I remember well because my in laws were down from western Montana. I thought they were going to drop from heat exhaustion. THey ended up getting a room at a motel with a pool.

[vfrpilot]

You could move to Lake Havasu City where it's usually hotter than 110 in the summer. Plus it's as close to CA as you can get while still in AZ.
I personally like Payson. Just far enough away from Phoenix to keep it'a identity and close enough to be able to run down there for the day. Or else you could stick to your original plan and move to CO like us

[mortimer]

Ponderosa reported:

> March 26, 1988 is the earliest 100. Average is May 13.

Do you have a cite for that?

I went to
PHOENIX CITY, ARIZONA Period of Record Daily Climate Summary
which I consider to be pretty good data. The best they can show for March 26 is 99. Of course if one weather station was showing 99 then somewhere else in the valley it could have been showing 98 and 102 in another place.

I like to collect sites that provide good data, so if you would post it, that would be great.

The site I have cited above shows the average for May 13 in Phoenix is 93 (not the same as the average day above 100, but the average temperature for that day), but the average on South Mountain is 89.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

In Yuma, 2004, I believe, it hit 103 on the second weekend of March. I remember well because my in laws were down from western Montana. I thought they were going to drop from heat exhaustion. THey ended up getting a room at a motel with a pool.

That I do believe; I was working in Parker that year and it was on the wrong side of 100F that March------and, it was still winter going by the calendar.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by mortimer

Ponderosa reported:

> March 26, 1988 is the earliest 100. Average is May 13.

Do you have a cite for that?

I went to
PHOENIX CITY, ARIZONA Period of Record Daily Climate Summary
which I consider to be pretty good data. The best they can show for March 26 is 99. Of course if one weather station was showing 99 then somewhere else in the valley it could have been showing 98 and 102 in another place.

I like to collect sites that provide good data, so if you would post it, that would be great.

The site I have cited above shows the average for May 13 in Phoenix is 93 (not the same as the average day above 100, but the average temperature for that day), but the average on South Mountain is 89.

Here you go:

National Weather Service - NWS Phoenix

It's rather interesting to see the facts. I'm not saying it is not an oven here at times, but I think people here exaggerate the heat just like people in other regions exaggerate how cold or how humid it really is. To read these boards you would think it is 110 all summer and 100 the rest of the time. It's not.