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Yeah, but Cathy, in that particular statement, what I believe mort was driving at wasn't that 85 for a low at night in Phoenix is "comfortable" compared to say, ABQ or SF's summer overnight lows, rather, he was noting that people often are surprised in ABQ that it can be 101 during the day but then 71 for an overnight low (as in the desert the overnight lows in the summer often drops 20 or 30 degrees).
There is a semi-misconception out there that places like Phoenix or Vegas don't experience this same desert drop in overnight temps. To a certain degree, as mort noted, they don't in their more central cores due to the massive heat island effect they now endure to their sheer size. However, as mort pointed out, if you go to the more outlying areas where the heat island effect is much less pronounced, you get the same sort of drop in temps...it happens in any US desert city. It is just that, as you correctly noted, going from 118 to 88 or 85 is still not terribly comfortable compared to ABQ's 101 going to 71.
Yes, the heavy population centers like Phoenix--with concrete/pavement and such, will still experience the drops in temps at night, but not nearly as cooling as they are here in Alamogordo. Even with 101 daytime temps the other day (ugghh!!!) at 9-10, it was pleasantly cool.
But I don't think any of the desert cities cool off at night as much as they did 25-30 years ago. I really notice the difference in WT now from what it was when I was growing up.
Here's something about the dry vs humid heats that i've noticed over the years as an example here.
When you camp outdoors here in New Mexico at say....Radium Springs or City of the Rocks and it's very hot in the daytime in the high 90's in the summer months but when you crash in your tent at night it feels confortable as it drops to the 60's and little humudity.
Now lets camp out at Ocala National forest in Florida and it's in the 90's in the day but at nite it drops to the 70's and is 85% humid. It reminded me of sleeping in a steam sauna at the YMCA with a pillow as it was really tough to sleep as you and the sleeping bag in the tent were covered with sweat. Not to mention the tons of bugs crawling all over your tent in the swampish area.
What's mosquitos out here??? I have forgotten all about them here in NM...lol...
Yes, isn't it basic physics that evaporation of moisture on your skin requires heat and thus lowers your skin temperature? Thus dry heat -- assuming that you have the capacity to sweat -- is cooler than moist heat because more evaporation occurs.
Exactimundo!
mortimer: I will concede your point that Phoenix may drop 30 degrees at night. Aren't the lows there at times in the 90s, though? It seems like I heard a news item several years ago that it (or possible another place in the general area) actually had a 100-degree low!
> ... will concede your point that Phoenix may drop 30 degrees at night.
> Aren't the lows there at times in the 90s, though? ... 100-degree low!
Right. I've made morning commutes where the temperatures were in the high 90's. I don't consider 98 really any different than 102.
There are a couple of days in the recordbooks where the official low temperature was 100, but some areas surely have had lows in the 105 area.
Think of the intersection of two six-lane roads where large shopping centers and their accompanying vast expanses of asphalt store heat. That's gonna be a higher temperature than the surrounding neighborhood.
I don't like the heat. I might even be more of a wuss than Towanda.
If I was in my 20's again, I'd probably just move to Fairbanks.
I left Phoenix for Albuquerque on purpose.
Yes, the heavy population centers like Phoenix--with concrete/pavement and such, will still experience the drops in temps at night, but not nearly as cooling as they are here in Alamogordo. Even with 101 daytime temps the other day (ugghh!!!) at 9-10, it was pleasantly cool.
But I don't think any of the desert cities cool off at night as much as they did 25-30 years ago. I really notice the difference in WT now from what it was when I was growing up.
Good points!
The concrete and pavement do make a difference. You can tell that when you're out hiking or walking when it's 100 plus degrees. It's not bad at all until you hit a road or parking lot and the heat is radiating back instead of being absorbed by the ground.
The desert itself can be very pleasant when it's 100 plus. The desert plants and sand soak up the sun's rays.
Ummmm...no, EnjoyEP, I would hardly be shocked / amazed at that. I have spent years correcting dozens of people about that point...and still AM correcting people who feel sorry for me because they think I have moved to a Phoenix-type climate.
Not even close... in Jan ABQ is 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix, and in July it is 15 degrees cooler. Phoenix is great for maybe 8 months but a summer full of 105-110 highs and 85-90 lows is too much for me to take... I'd much rather experience a cold-cool but mostly sunny winter.
We've had record wind all spring and now record temps... or at least a long streak of temps that are 10 degrees above normal. I can't really complain since it is only 90 in Ruidoso, but that is hotter than it ever was last summer.
Icebucket, for a short trip, northern NM will offer the most bang for your buck because if you fly into ABQ you'll be close enough to a lot of places to explore in a short time. On any given day, you could cover a lot of ground.
Southern NM is more spread out and harder to explore quickly. But if you can make the time, it offers towns worth looking at. EnjoyEP already mentioned Silver City. Ruidoso and its surrounding areas are others. Around 7,000 feet in the south, you'll get snow and cold but not as much as in northern NM. It's a great happy medium -- rarely too cold and rarely too hot. Ruidoso can get touristy and draws lots of folks from Texas in summer. It has taverns and places to meet with other people.
Rural, small-town NM in general is pretty bad as far as singles scenes go, but I think Ruidoso might be just big enough to offer at least some optimism. It's also close to Alamogordo, which is three or four times as large. Your next "major" outpost would be Las Cruces, but that's the hottest place in NM.
As a couple of other folks have said, heat is heat regardless of humidity. Dry heat might be slightly more comfortable at times, but I still find it miserable. I live above 9,000 feet to avoid 100+ summers. When it hits 75, I start complaining. When it's 80, I'm dying. I think EnjoyEP already said it -- pick your elevation and pick your climate.
As for other amenities like jobs, gathering places, singles scenes, shopping, and entertainment, NM is like anywhere else. Look in the larger towns and cities and be prepared to make compromises. It's hard to live in rural natural beauty, for example, without giving up modern conveniences that you might really want.
Dang. Even Farmngton is forecast to hit 91...and Santa Fe 88, according to WeatherUnderground.
Alamo....101, again. It was NOT this hot this early when I was tracking temps, but I am hoping that what they tell me is true....this is unusually hot!!
Midland has already reached 106+.
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Evaporation
