It's baaaack... Excessive heat watch issued for this week. (Phoenix: movies, restaurants)

[Zonie5]

what is HOT ?? i worked in a lead refinery for 33 years . lead melts at 620 F . we had lead as hot as 2200F . the plant floor was steel , the deparment had a roof but no walls . we had to wear steel toed boots , heavy duty fire retadent clothing , a hard hat , a approved respirator , safety glasses and heavy duty cotton gloves . while the temps during summer averaged 85-90 , then the humidity kicked in . i have been in Phoenix and i don't hink it was all that hot .

[ReadyFreddy]

9. The Heat Itself - Sometimes, I like to challenge myself and run in the heat for a great workout

I used to do Bikram yoga but then I wondered if the extreme heat was good for anything besides a distraction. I can never find this info-- Is the increased heart rate you get in the heat of any caloric benefit? Seems like if it was everyone in Phoenix would be thin. You sure feel like you've been wrung out like a sponge after 90 mins. exercising in 104 degrees with 40% humidity, though.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by MotleyCrew

We hardly noticed it and have been busy planting and spreading rock.

May I ask what kind of fertilizer you use on that rock to get it to grow? Does it grow fast so I don't have to buy as much to begin with?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by ReadyFreddy

I used to do Bikram yoga but then I wondered if the extreme heat was good for anything besides a distraction. I can never find this info-- Is the increased heart rate you get in the heat of any caloric benefit? Seems like if it was everyone in Phoenix would be thin. You sure feel like you've been wrung out like a sponge after 90 mins. exercising in 104 degrees with 40% humidity, though.

Not to split hairs here but: 104 with 40 percent humidity works out to a dewpoint of 75 degrees. It is rare indeed that we have a dewpoint that high. More typically it's below 60 at that temp during the monsoon and WAY below this time of year. That makes the monsoon humidity more typically around 25-30% during the heat of the day. Very dry by most people's experience. It is less than 10% this time of year.

[mjd2k]

I know the heat is yet to come and I'm still a tourist to many (I'm a Northener that comes here throughout the year) but the heat is fine so far. Golfed saturday and rode my bike for an hour, no isssue at all. Rode my road bike this morning for 1.5 hours, then worked on installing a gate and fence... no problem. No way I could work 8 hours in this heat though...no way, that would be misery. Give me 40 below if I have to work outside all day.

Motely Crew, you're crazy and Zonie5, you are tough.

[HX_Guy]

Originally Posted by khuntrevor

top middle of my attic is 115.5F with the attic fan running.

May need some radiant heat barrier installed!

I bring it up because I had my house done today and I'm very curious to see how it will affect temps.

Yesterday I put a thermometer up there and took a few readings throughout the day. The high yesterday was apparently only 97º but the attic got to 105º. Now it's hotter already so the test won't be as accurate until the temps drop a little but I'm hopeful...highest I saw today was 101º but that was as they were installing the stuff, so the attic already go hot as they didn't finish until about 3pm.

I'll see how it does the next few days and follow up.

[miamiman]

What causes the National Weather Service to issue an Excessive Heat Watch here? In New Jersey there was a set threshold for heat and humidity that prompted a heat advisory, watch, and then warning. Here it just seems to be random.

I was 103 today and it is expected to maybe reach 106 by Tuesday. We had no heat advisories today, but a temperature just three degrees higher prompts a watch and warnings on potential danger? It's just going to be 106. What's the big deal? This is Phoenix.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by miamiman

What causes the National Weather Service to issue an Excessive Heat Watch here? In New Jersey there was a set threshold for heat and humidity that prompted a heat advisory, watch, and then warning. Here it just seems to be random.

I was 103 today and it is expected to maybe reach 106 by Tuesday. We had no heat advisories today, but a temperature just three degrees higher prompts a watch and warnings on potential danger? It's just going to be 106. What's the big deal? This is Phoenix.

This was pretty easy to find with Google. Scroll down.

National Weather Service Heat Safety

Apparently the 105 threshhold is significant, but here they don't seem to be as concerned about the humidity part of the grid-- just the temperature. (although note that the grid is based on temps in the shade and light winds, so the index can actually be 15 degrees higher in full sun/no wind). Given the amount of heatstroke we see around here, with the high elderly population and large numbers of people who haven't lived here long and don't know the effects of the hot, dry conditions, what they do here makes sense to me.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by miamiman

What causes the National Weather Service to issue an Excessive Heat Watch here? In New Jersey there was a set threshold for heat and humidity that prompted a heat advisory, watch, and then warning. Here it just seems to be random.

I was 103 today and it is expected to maybe reach 106 by Tuesday. We had no heat advisories today, but a temperature just three degrees higher prompts a watch and warnings on potential danger? It's just going to be 106. What's the big deal? This is Phoenix.

They issued this one (it is a watch not a warning) because it is the first of the season and near record temps. It's the "heat wave" effect. Later in the year this would be a cooldown. There are set criteria for heat advisories. They are different in different parts of the country. Obvious are heat indices, but also things like average daily temp. Often what sets the excessive heat warnings off here is the overnight temps in summer cause the thresholds to be exceeded.

I think they have gotten carried away with these warnings myself. Who pays attention anyway. Years back we never had them unless it was 120 or something. Now, if the overnights are above 95 they put one out. We are becoming wusses.

[PoppySead]

Well, you know I'm happy! My morning swims will be welcome again, and I just love the heat like an old lizard. It's been 1/2 a century so far and maybe at some point I'll get bored but so far so good. Just the locals, stores aren't crowded, restaurants are slower, traffic is better, allergies are gone. Bathing suit, cover up and flippies all summer long. Aw, nice, I'm not going to complain. Some of us just like it hot.

I've got that siesta thing down though. I'm up early, I'm done with work by 3, nap til 5, do my shopping after the sun is down. I love the summer schedule.