My impression of AZ after a year of living here. (Phoenix: apartment, foreclosure)

[43north87west]

I pretty much agree. Moved here from Washington, DC. Have a house in the Midwest.

[brucerby]

Originally Posted by scocar

....I don't think it makes Phoenix better in the summer when the average day in Phoenix is better than the WORST day in another city.

Totally agree. That's what makes desert climates such a challenge. Its not the specific comparison on a given day, it's how long the extreme conditions last.

In Chicago we get some stifling hot summer days, with very high humidity, but only for stretches of a few days. We don't endure that for 2 straight months.

[scocar]

Originally Posted by brucerby

Totally agree. That's what makes desert climates such a challenge. Its not the specific comparison on a given day, it's how long the extreme conditions last.

In Chicago we get some stifling hot summer days, with very high humidity, but only for stretches of a few days. We don't endure that for 2 straight months.

And likewise in the winter you don't get snow for 2-3 straight months. Granted it's cold, but I've found the climate in STL much preferable to Phoenix.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by scocar

And likewise in the winter you don't get snow for 2-3 straight months...

Agreed - but I remember several winters here where the daytime highs were in the teens & low twenties, with lows in the single-digits, for weeks on end - and the snow from the February 2011 blizzard stuck around for a good long while.

That gets old, too.

[scocar]

Originally Posted by JoeC

Agreed - but I remember several winters here where the daytime highs were in the teens & low twenties, with lows in the single-digits, for weeks on end - and the snow from the February 2011 blizzard stuck around for a good long while.

That gets old, too.

I agree. But I lived in Phoenix all my life. I can count on one hand the number of sub 100 days I've seen in June/
July/August.

[khuntrevor]

I would say that for every person that moves from phx to stl, for the climate; there are 100 that move from stl to phx.

[chazk14]

The desert heat is much much more manageable than temps in the 80s and 90s with a high humidity. I too have asthma and have gone and played basketball for 30 45 minutes in 105F weather in Phoenix and been fine. In Chicago when its 85F with a high humidity I can't breath after walking outside to grab the mail and come inside.

[scocar]

Originally Posted by khuntrevor

I would say that for every person that moves from phx to stl, for the climate; there are 100 that move from stl to phx.

I would say that most people making that move in either direction are not doing so for the climate. And the bottom line is most people prefer it hot to cold. So anyone that says they moved because they hated the snow, I've got no problem with that. But when they compare 110 to 90 with 70% humidity it's not a fair comparison. It was 110 for 30+ straight days in Phoenix. During that same time there were at least 5 days where STL didn't even reach 80 degrees. When it's below 80 degrees no matter what the humidity is it feels better than 110.

[scocar]

Originally Posted by CinSonic

The desert heat is much much more manageable than temps in the 80s and 90s with a high humidity. I too have asthma and have gone and played basketball for 30 45 minutes in 105F weather in Phoenix and been fine. In Chicago when its 85F with a high humidity I can't breath after walking outside to grab the mail and come inside.

Temps in the 80's and 90's is a broad range. "High humidity" is also a broad range. Give me 82 with 60% humidity any day over 110 with no humidity. But I'd take 110 with no humidity over 98 with 70% humidity. The point I'm making is in a typical summer in the midwest there are far more days where it's 80-85, with 60% humidity, than there are 95+ with 70%. As a matter of fact in STL I've seen a general pattern that when it gets above 90 the humidity starts to drop.

[actinic]

Originally Posted by scocar

I don't think it makes Phoenix better in the summer when the average day in Phoenix is better than the WORST day in another city.

Bingo! Defenders of Phoenix weather love to cherry pick the worst days elsewhere, rarely mentioning it's short lived nature compared to the endless hot days they endure. Failing this argument they'll fall back to choosing exceptional or extremely unusual weather incidents, citing its duration or extremes, mixed with some exaggeration. The final fall back is to mention cities with extremes, be it Houston for its protracted heat/humidity or Minneapolis for the opposite.