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That list is deceiving, so don't take it as number of days of sunshine, that is something different. I know very well quite a few of those CA cities on the list will have many days of overcast in a row quite frequently, where in somewhere like Tampa you will never see this/ and the winters there will be clear, warm and beautiful, while the Northern CA cities on that list will be overcast/drizzly/chilly... it might be partial cloudy quite a bit though but the sun is coming in and out every 10 minutes. CA you'll have entire months with almost no clouds in the sky whatsoever which cranks up those percentage points, but then weeks on end with little breaks of overcast with drizzle and rains mixed in when a weather system settles in. Rarely is there a day in Tampa when the sun doesn't come out at some point, just doesn't happen that often. So you don't get the stir crazy effect of overcast days there.
Cities I'm referring to are ones like Davis, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Novato, San Rafael, definitely San Francisco also.
I see your point, thinking about it, those NorCal cities are, climatically, are practically the southern most Pacific Northwest.
It makes sense. St. Pete/Tampa/Florida on the whole receives so much more rain than any of those cities. A lot of cases, 8x more.
I always looked at this area as the SF of Florida only way less crowded and with the cool hip factor of SoCal with way less aggravation. My vote goes to FL over anywhere out west. Give me FL anyday.
Florida's cooler than Arizona hands down. And, cooler days here and there, some rain. Arizona is consistently over 100 for at least 4 1/2 months/year. Sometimes 5 months. Overnights are 85-90 at the worse, too.
In FLA you have mucho humidity. If you are living in a beach community, or within 10 miles of the coast, the temperature is far more temperate, and tolerable. The Gulf coast is warmer than the Atlantic. The interior (20 miles from the coast) is just as hot and muggy and nasty as New Orleans or Houston.
The humid heat is more gentle on the skin. Unless you are inclined to heat rashes! Things like poison ivy are far more common, and bothersome, as are plain old heat rashes. Mildew is serious. Worn clothing left in a heap in the corner can get mildewed quickly.
Phoenix is oven hot in the summer, spring, and fall. And the nights are not cool for a long summer amount of time. Tucson is slightly better. Somebody else mentioned Vegas (NV). The average relative humidity in Vegas used to be about 9-10% - as dry as any desert in the world. Phoenix and most of AZ south of the Mogollon Rim are in the Sonoran desert - average relative humidity about 35-45%. The heat in the summer will feel like a blast furnace, but you can get used to it, and it really isn't that bad, because it truly is drier. Which means, if you hydrate, you can still exercise in the heat, and not suffer heat-stroke.
In both climates, the heat can be a problem. I find the humidity makes it harder for me to feel energetic and do anything. On the other hand, the intense continuous heat gets very boring.
Btw - I have heard Vegas is up to the 35% average relative humidity level these days, due to the large numbers of people living there, with lawns, and swimming pools, and all that.
I've lived in both states. Florida some time ago and I'm new to Arizona. I'm trying AZ out to see if I want to retire here. Although I was stationed in Arizona years ago in the Air Force. It does seems hotter now than back in the 70's. I arrived in the Phx area in late August. It is now getting into the 90's for a high each day, nights are in the low 70's. Up until this week its has been 100 to 108 every day. Add in all the concrete absorbing all that heat, and all that sun with little shade and its damn hot. I would say the heat is worst here than Fla, because it lasts so long, and there is basically no rain to speak of. There is no real cloud cover either, to give one a break from that blazing sun. Still its nice here but its obvious from all the vacant homes, many people cannot take the heat here in the hot months. Either than or there is a whole lot of foreclosed homes. Which wouldn't surprise me. Homes are dirt cheap here. Its amazing what 100,000 will get you out here vs elsewhere. I'm told by natives the high heat is fast approaching 5 to 6 months of 90's to 115 every day. Depending which hot month your in. The other months the weather is beautiful. One could get sick of continuous sun and rarely if ever seeing rain I suppose. It is a beautiful state though especially the mountain areas.
Florida's cooler than Arizona hands down. And, cooler days here and there, some rain. Arizona is consistently over 100 for at least 4 1/2 months/year. Sometimes 5 months. Overnights are 85-90 at the worse, too.
This is exactly what I think too. You get rain too which you really don't in AZ and theres not a water shortage. People tout places like San Diego as having the most awesome 70 degree weather all yr round but that gets old quickly and if its dry, it can be annoying. Its not hot enough to burn and you might get a breeze, but its still a stagnating temperature with no variety, no change of season and theres no water hardly or rain there. I'll take Tampa area over these anyday even people wise too.
I've been following the weather cycle of Phoenix for a couple of years now, and this is that time of the year when it starts to get real nice in PHX. Tonight their low will be 64 degrees with 46 percent humidity. People are already sleeping with their windows open there. Here in St. Petersburg, FL the low will be 75 with 87 percent humidity. My AC will definitely be on tonight, as I don't like the slightest feeling of damp sheets against my skin.
I've been following the weather cycle of Phoenix for a couple of years now, and this is that time of the year when it starts to get real nice in PHX. Tonight their low will be 64 degrees with 46 percent humidity. People are already sleeping with their windows open there. Here in St. Petersburg, FL the low will be 75 with 87 percent humidity. My AC will definitely be on tonight, as I don't like the slightest feeling of damp sheets against my skin.
Yup, end of October it does get "nice" till mid-May. Early am's and late eve's, though, from Dec-March, you need a heavy coat and long pants. It's not tropical like Florida, but Arizona has a better vibe to me than Florida. Ugh.
Diversion of the beach lifestyle: It's all about the water in FL. So naturally the hottest, most humid days make for good beach weather, the ocean essentially becomes a big 90 degree jacuzzi.
Eastern Familiarity: The desert landscape is unsettling for a lot of people. Parts of FL on the other hand look like any other state out east. I even live in a neighborhood that has brick roads.
Would take FL to AZ in a heartbeat, but it would have to be close to a coast, and NOT Orlando. Humidity is not such a big deal, except on the hottest of days.
Beach versus desert, I'll take beach everyday, duh!
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