Feeling Hopeless in NY (Phoenix, Scottsdale: how much, homes, car)

[JDish2000]

Bugs - not much (I haven't seen a mesquito in several years now).

Traffic - YES! Generally, more traffic in the area during the January to April time periods.

Climate - GREAT! You will never "freeze" and mostly you'll feel warm-cool a majority of the year. June - July - August will feel pretty HOT between noon and 5PM. Heat advisories are usually announced on local television when we get to 110 degree highs.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by LuckyGirl777

I do understand that. I also think your right. We went to Vegas last July and it was 116 when we got off the plane. Yes it was hot, but it can get hot here too and soooo humid. It's not pleasant when its 94 with 95% humidity.
I'm thinking though a trade off of our sticky summers and freezing winters might be worth it. I'm honestly more concerned about bugs and traffic.

For Heavens sake, its not 94 degrees with 95% humidity, more like 94 degrees with 50-60% humidity, and only for short stretches. And the heat in AZ doesnt just hang around for a few days with nice breaks in the middle. Its consistently HOT from April until mid-October. Are you prepared for that? If you think a handful of 90 degree days in NY is bad, are you prepared for several straight months of 100 degrees and up? Last year PHX had 33 days that were over 110 degrees and almost 4 months worth of 100 degrees and up. Sure the allure of more sun sounds nice, but come the middle of summer, youll be like everyone else down there--praying for clouds and some cool temps, which sometimes dont come for a few more months. Some people dont grasp the severity of Phoenix summers and end up despising them and whining about them just as much as a bad winter. Ive seen it happen a gajillion times. Vacationing somewhere and living somewhere are two totally different things, alot of people dont realize that. Just make sure you do before you move.

[JDish2000]

Like Steve-O says:

humidity in 50-60% range in Sonoran Desert means: RAIN!

Mostly it will be in the 7-10% humidity range, then as it creeps to the 20-30-40 percent range, it means MONSOON SEASON is coming...

MONSOON is when the winds change direction, brings moisture in from GULF of Mexico and/or lower Pacific Ocean...

[RottenChester]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Sure, but take a good hard look at at least a half dozen other cities in the western US while you're at it before you assume Phoenix is 100% the answer. You'd be going from one extreme clear to the other. Don't despair-- there is hope!

I agree you would be going from one extreme to the other. Lots of snow and no sunshine to No snow and lots of suinshine. Phoenix sounds like a great place but being a fellow Upstate New Yorker I would detest against the extreme summer heat and the traffic. If bugs concern you, I know a few people from AZ and they all say bugs are a non-concern next to the high number of illegal aliens.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by JDish2000

Like Steve-O says:

humidity in 50-60% range in Sonoran Desert means: RAIN!

Mostly it will be in the 7-10% humidity range, then as it creeps to the 20-30-40 percent range, it means MONSOON SEASON is coming...

MONSOON is when the winds change direction, brings moisture in from GULF of Mexico and/or lower Pacific Ocean...

Well, I was talking about NY's humidity, but youre correct, too. Humidity creeps up during monsoon season, but its not as bad as, say, Florida or Georgia. But in NY you wont see 94 degrees with 95% humidity, that heat index would be off the charts!

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

For Heavens sake, its not 94 degrees with 95% humidity, more like 94 degrees with 50-60% humidity, and only for short stretches. And the heat in AZ doesnt just hang around for a few days with nice breaks in the middle. Its consistently HOT from April until mid-October. Are you prepared for that? If you think a handful of 90 degree days in NY is bad, are you prepared for several straight months of 100 degrees and up? Last year PHX had 33 days that were over 110 degrees and almost 4 months worth of 100 degrees and up. Sure the allure of more sun sounds nice, but come the middle of summer, youll be like everyone else down there--praying for clouds and some cool temps, which sometimes dont come for a few more months. Some people dont grasp the severity of Phoenix summers and end up despising them and whining about them just as much as a bad winter. Ive seen it happen a gajillion times. Vacationing somewhere and living somewhere are two totally different things, alot of people dont realize that. Just make sure you do before you move.

People are often given the advice to come out in summer to experience what it is like in the heat. Frequently, we see comments fromthose who do that it was not that bad. That is no surprise. If you come to our low humidity from a hot humid summer elsewhere that is going to be your first reaction. But Steve-o has a point here (forgive me, Lord!). The heat drags on and on and, while not uncomfortable for a vacation, it gets old just like winters do back east. Actually, I think people ought to come in March/April to experience the good part. That's why many of us live here. We all know (or should) that it is going to be hot. It's deciding whether the reward of 250 or so straight days of nice weather is worth the 120 or so days of unrelenting heat.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

People are often given the advice to come out in summer to experience what it is like in the heat. Frequently, we see comments fromthose who do that it was not that bad. That is no surprise. If you come to our low humidity from a hot humid summer elsewhere that is going to be your first reaction. But Steve-o has a point here (forgive me, Lord!). The heat drags on and on and, while not uncomfortable for a vacation, it gets old just like winters do back east. Actually, I think people ought to come in March/April to experience the good part. That's why many of us live here. We all know (or should) that it is going to be hot. It's deciding whether the reward of 250 or so straight days of nice weather is worth the 120 or so days of unrelenting heat.

I normally recommend people to come visit AZ in summer, but theres something that they need to realize: theyre on VACATION pretty much. They still dont know what its like to experience month upon month of the heat. They dont know what its like to sit in traffic in that heat day in and day out, nor what its like to run errands in that crap. Even worse is when they decide to move there and start havin to crank their own A/C and not the hotel's. Spring and fall make up for summer, but summer is soooo hot and soooo long in AZ, alot of people cant grasp that. I admit, I despise intense heat. When Im in AZ, a week is where I really get pissed off at it. I have no idea how you guys do it for 4-5 months, Id become clinically insane. Major props to those who tolerate that kind of heat, thats insane!

[Beena]

Hopeless in NY,
I moved to Phoenix 14 years ago from Colorado Springs and you couldn't pay me enough money to go back. Phoenix is perpetually sunny. If you want sunshine, then move. I also lived in Spokane for 4 years and understand what you are saying about cold, cloudy and depressing. This place will breathe new life into you. You can go months without a drop of rain, and I love that.

As for the summers...I play basketball outside at noon every day of the year. Yes that includes June, July and August. There are about 15 of us. Yes it is warm But I wouldn't trade it for 30 degrees. Or even 40 or 50. And we never have to cancel because of rain or snow.

[kdog]

We moved from Rockland County, NY to Kingman, AZ 1 1/2 years ago. All I can say is "ahhhhhhh". Much better now.

[MotleyCrew]

We find that we can handle long hot summers far better than icy cold winters back home. The pines were beautiful, but we missed seeing a real sunset. Everyone has different needs and ours was to be warm instead of cold.