How do you deal with this extreme desert heat?! (Phoenix: landscaping, living)

[atler8]

Given that weather & climate are claimed by Arizonans to be one of the very biggest draws for living in the state, it is quite relevant, especially more so when someone makes a statement about weather elsewhere in the country that can be arguably demonstrated to be incorrect. It's all up for debate.

[katie45]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

There is way too much minimizing of the heat in PHX on this forum. If you personally want to have a positive attitude about the heat, that's fine, but I think some people end up really misrepresenting the weather to those who are potentially looking to relocate. Anyone who says the weather is nice for 8-9 months is lying. Summer most years seems interminable--I can remember get scalded by the seat belt in late October and sweating because I was wearing jeans on Thanksgiving. April is really when summer weather really starts to kick into gear, and by May all bets are off.

[azkid2002]

I have been in Phoenix for quite a few years now and when it gets really up there it can get to you but what I notice more is that it seems it is very very dry much more in the summer months. Seems like when I first came here 4-6% humidity happened only for a few days at a time and then it would go back up to 10 to 20% for a while. It just seems like it is excessively dry all of the time now.

[Chelito23]

Originally Posted by elcajones

Oh I guess it would be a good idea to update my profile to Mesa. I have noticed the temp is at least 90 when I go to sleep. When I wake on work days it is typically in the 70's. But by 8am I find it uncomfortable. Point being back home as soon as that sunsets not matter how hot it is during the day the nights are cool. Here I'm pouring sweat outside in the evening and still have to blast ac. Even during our hottest heat wave last year in el cajon with about a week of 105-110 temps the nights brought great relief.

This is just an acclimation period for you. By next summer....you will actually think 90 is quite bearable. It is all relative. For most people, the first summer here is the hottest/worst regardless of how people minimize it. Your body just has to adjust and it takes time. Take weekend trips, experiment with AC settings, get out of the house when you can, try to go outside in the early AM or at night even if it's still uncomfortably hot....those are coping mechanisms and before you know it, next summer you will swear it isn't as hot as last summer....

[magnum0417]

Originally Posted by elcajones

Oh I guess it would be a good idea to update my profile to Mesa. I have noticed the temp is at least 90 when I go to sleep. When I wake on work days it is typically in the 70's. But by 8am I find it uncomfortable. Point being back home as soon as that sunsets not matter how hot it is during the day the nights are cool. Here I'm pouring sweat outside in the evening and still have to blast ac. Even during our hottest heat wave last year in el cajon with about a week of 105-110 temps the nights brought great relief.

I am surprised that having lived in El Cajon , it's been a tough adjustment for you. Lived in NY prior to coming here 1 1/2 years ago but knew about the summers having been out here for work related reasons for many years.My first experience was summer 1991 and watched a movie you probably dig, Point Break at the Paradise Valley Mall.

Anyhow, a lot of the handling of the heat is mental IMO. I still take a few months of the heat over what I dealt with in NY for not only weather but high taxes and restricted laws for Libertarians as myself. As I said pages back, the 110 plus doesn't weigh on me. What has is the lack of active weather for the past 3 plus months. I've found that to be a bigger challenge for me mentally this year than the heat. With this my second go around with the summer heat, it is safe for me to say that May and June are my least favorite months for weather. I really can't wait to get some action but that seems to be pushing back later and later due to the drought south of us and lack of 4 Corner High setting up.

The heat does give us a lower COL. Unfortunately the COL is higher in towns like Prescott and Flagstaff where you may be better suited for weather wise. Unless you are in Real Estate or some trust fund baby, very hard to make enough money employment wise to cover living expenses in places like Prescott or Flag. Even the advocates on this forum who live there will tell you employment opportunities do not match COL for rentals or mortgages.

Lastly, best of luck in Mesa. I heard all these nightmare stories prior to moving about how bad West Mesa is. To me, the Fiesta District is fine and there are some cool shops in that area and although small, the Fiesta Mall is decent enough too. I don't consider ANY neighborhood throughout the East Valley to be "ghetto." Again, saw way more crap in NY neighborhoods in both Downstate NY and Upstate NY than out here.

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by atler8

Given that weather & climate are claimed by Arizonans to be one of the very biggest draws for living in the state, it is quite relevant, especially more so when someone makes a statement about weather elsewhere in the country that can be arguably demonstrated to be incorrect. It's all up for debate.

Haha really??? I had no idea that is actually kind of funny. That was the toughest factor against my move. I just couldn't get over how beautiful all the developement is and how much stronger the economy is here. Arizona goes all out with new development. There are so many great things about this place to offset the negative but to me the climate is the biggest negative (followed by no beach but I only go to the beach maybe 10 times a year anyway, no reason for that to change). Than again I may be spoiled by SoCal weather.

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

This is just an acclimation period for you. By next summer....you will actually think 90 is quite bearable. It is all relative. For most people, the first summer here is the hottest/worst regardless of how people minimize it. Your body just has to adjust and it takes time. Take weekend trips, experiment with AC settings, get out of the house when you can, try to go outside in the early AM or at night even if it's still uncomfortably hot....those are coping mechanisms and before you know it, next summer you will swear it isn't as hot as last summer....

Ok it's worth a shot. I'll do just that.

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

This is just an acclimation period for you. By next summer....you will actually think 90 is quite bearable. It is all relative. For most people, the first summer here is the hottest/worst regardless of how people minimize it. Your body just has to adjust and it takes time. Take weekend trips, experiment with AC settings, get out of the house when you can, try to go outside in the early AM or at night even if it's still uncomfortably hot....those are coping mechanisms and before you know it, next summer you will swear it isn't as hot as last summer....

Ok it's worth a shot. I'll do just that.

[El_Waiboi]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

This is just an acclimation period for you. By next summer....you will actually think 90 is quite bearable. It is all relative. For most people, the first summer here is the hottest/worst regardless of how people minimize it. Your body just has to adjust and it takes time. Take weekend trips, experiment with AC settings, get out of the house when you can, try to go outside in the early AM or at night even if it's still uncomfortably hot....those are coping mechanisms and before you know it, next summer you will swear it isn't as hot as last summer....

Good advice!!

BTW - Ceiling fans in combination with A/C make a huge difference!! If you own the house (as opposed to rent), make the small investment to install ceiling fans in every single room (minus the bathrooms), you will not be disappointed!!

[urbex]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

There is way too much minimizing of the heat in PHX on this forum. If you personally want to have a positive attitude about the heat, that's fine, but I think some people end up really misrepresenting the weather to those who are potentially looking to relocate. Anyone who says the weather is nice for 8-9 months is lying. Summer most years seems interminable--I can remember get scalded by the seat belt in late October and sweating because I was wearing jeans on Thanksgiving. April is really when summer weather really starts to kick into gear, and by May all bets are off.

I literally LOLed when I read this I came here from Detroit...land of interminable humidity, plus highs reaching into the 90s. That SUCKED to be outside in. We hit a high of 102 here in Glendale today, and I was outside from about 8am to 8pm working on my Jeep. Not in a garage, but actually outside. Wearing long pants, and a t-shirt, and I was plenty fine. I find this weather to be FAR easier to tolerate than Detroit summers, plus we don't have 6 months of frigid temps here.

The weather IS nice for 8-9 months, after you've acclimated to it. If you drop in the middle of summer in 100+ degree heat, sure, it's going to feel HOT. Come here in March, and ramp up the temps, it's a different story. It would be the same as someone from southern California dropping into Chicago or New York in January..I'd bet they would say the same thing - "How do you people deal with this?!?!?!?"

Back home, I was in shorts by the time the weather hit 75, and by 85, I was in misery. I remember getting sick several times each summer due to the heat/humidity (as in I lost my lunch sick). Here, I'm in jeans year round, and I haven't gotten heat sick once. I think the lack of humidity is a big part of that too - in Detroit you would go from a dry, air conditioned house or building to a sauna outside, and back again a few times a day. Here, you go from a dry building to dry outside, and it's not nearly as much of a shock to the system.