If you had to think of a city that was the most like Phoenix, but with milder weather, what city would that be? (Buckeye: home, live)

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Actually, the highest temperatures each year from 2011 through 2016 were over 115:
* 2011: 118 degrees (July 2nd)
* 2012: 116 degrees (August 8th)
* 2013: 119 degrees (June 29th)
* 2014: 116 degrees (July 24th)
* 2015: 117 degrees (August 14th)
* 2018: 118 degrees (June 19th)

I know that, but was pointing out that we do not hit 115 every year. In fact in 1999 our highest temp was only 111, thanks to a big trough over the west similar to 2010

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

I know that, but was pointing out that we do not hit 115 every year. In fact in 1999 our highest temp was only 111, thanks to a big trough over the west similar to 2010

You can't compare 1999 with 2010. 1999 was an unusually cool summer for Phoenix standards, mostly because of the heavy monsoon flow and more rain than normal during that summer. In 2010, the monsoon was average to slightly below average, and the peak temperatures were 113 in late June, 114 in July, and 112 in August. It wasn't a cooler or rainier than normal summer like 1999 was.

In any case, nobody can say that Phoenix hasn't gotten hotter over the last few decades because it definitely has, and the weather statistics prove it. The urban heat island is a big cause of it, and that predominately affects overnight low temperatures, but can also push daytime highs several degrees warmer as well. Even without the urban heat factor, there was only one year in Phoenix history that didn't reach 110 degrees or higher, and that was 1911 (again mostly due to an unusually wet monsoon season that year). The way I see it, anything over 110 is too hot for me, and temperatures of 112 or 115 don't feel all that much different.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Actually, the highest temperatures each year from 2011 through 2016 were over 115:
* 2011: 118 degrees (July 2nd)
* 2012: 116 degrees (August 8th)
* 2013: 119 degrees (June 29th)
* 2014: 116 degrees (July 24th)
* 2015: 117 degrees (August 14th)
* 2018: 118 degrees (June 19th)

2018? Predicting the future eh?

Yup, it's hot here in the summer... and like the rest of the planet, it has warmed up in the last few decades. Sad but true. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of places on this planet to go to avoid climate change, whatever is causing it, it's happening. Some cities are seeing more floods, some are seeing their winter tourism industries devastated, others are watching seasons that they don't recognize anymore.

I guess on a positive note, Phoenix seems well positioned to manage through some warmer weather, we're fairly well built for it. But here's to hoping things start to move back to the more balanced temps we all came to exist under.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by locolife

2018? Predicting the future eh?

Yup, it's hot here in the summer... and like the rest of the planet, it has warmed up in the last few decades. Sad but true. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of places on this planet to go to avoid climate change, whatever is causing it, it's happening. Some cities are seeing more floods, some are seeing their winter tourism industries devastated, others are watching seasons that they don't recognize anymore.

I guess on a positive note, Phoenix seems well positioned to manage through some warmer weather, we're fairly well built for it. But here's to hoping things start to move back to the more balanced temps we all came to exist under.

I meant 2016, but had a brief "DUH" moment. I have mixed opinions about climate change. I know there is evidence of global temperatures becoming warmer over the last few years, but I tend to think it's more of a natural cycle than human caused. Some politicians and environmentalists keep insisting we need to do more to reduce global warming, but if it's a natural occurrence, I don't really know what can be done.

There is proof that Phoenix is hotter now due to the urban heat island effect, which has resulted from urban sprawl, less open desert, and less agriculture. When the Phoenix area was small to mid sized many years ago, there was an abundance of cotton fields and citrus groves even within parts of the city. This had a way of making the temperatures a little cooler (especially the overnight lows). The last record low temperature at Sky Harbor was in 1990, but there are record high temperatures being tied or broken on a regular basis.

On a positive note, Phoenix is in a pretty good location to where people who are sick of the heat can escape within a few hours without having to drive or fly clear across the country. The AZ high country and coastal CA are fairly close where summer temperatures can be 30 degrees cooler. I spend a lot of time in the White Mountains during the summer months, and last year I went to the Colorado high country which has a similar summer climate. Nobody really has to be stuck in the dreadful heat all summer unless they choose to.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I meant 2016, but had a brief "DUH" moment. I have mixed opinions about climate change. I know there is evidence of global temperatures becoming warmer over the last few years, but I tend to think it's more of a natural cycle than human caused. Some politicians and environmentalists keep insisting we need to do more to reduce global warming, but if it's a natural occurrence, I don't really know what can be done.

There is proof that Phoenix is hotter now due to the urban heat island effect, which has resulted from urban sprawl, less open desert, and less agriculture. When the Phoenix area was small to mid sized many years ago, there was an abundance of cotton fields and citrus groves even within parts of the city. This had a way of making the temperatures a little cooler (especially the overnight lows). The last record low temperature at Sky Harbor was in 1990, but there are record high temperatures being tied or broken on a regular basis.

On a positive note, Phoenix is in a pretty good location to where people who are sick of the heat can escape within a few hours without having to drive or fly clear across the country. The AZ high country and coastal CA are fairly close where summer temperatures can be 30 degrees cooler. I spend a lot of time in the White Mountains during the summer months, and last year I went to the Colorado high country which has a similar summer climate. Nobody really has to be stuck in the dreadful heat all summer unless they choose to.

Yep, pretty easy to get away if you want to. I do a few trips up north every summer but I also switch to morning hiking and biking about now through September, it was 73 beautiful degrees when I went this morning. I also don't mind a little bit of indoor time like I had in winters when I lived up North. Catching movies, shows, museums, and so on during the heat of the day and swimming at night.

I don't guess at what's causing global warming either but it's certainly happening and it's not just here. Hotter and drier obviously sucks for us in the future but dealing with rising oceans certainly seems more difficult to me and there are a lot of cities that may be facing this issue in the future.

[Minawreck]

Columbus, OH
Atlanta, GA
Charlotte, NC
Richmond, VA

And any State capitals in the southeast. Those are probably your targets.

[Renegade007]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

There is proof that Phoenix is hotter now due to the urban heat island effect, which has resulted from urban sprawl, less open desert, and less agriculture. When the Phoenix area was small to mid sized many years ago, there was an abundance of cotton fields and citrus groves even within parts of the city. This had a way of making the temperatures a little cooler (especially the overnight lows). The last record low temperature at Sky Harbor was in 1990, but there are record high temperatures being tied or broken on a regular basis.

So the heat island effect isn't just an urban legend.

[Flovis]

Originally Posted by Renegade007

So the heat island effect isn't just an urban legend.

Very real, especially when it hits 100s

Fresno high today 78(@ Fresno airport)
Phx low for tonight 77(@phx airport)

Phx should probably be cooling down 26-30 degrees at night
Thanks to the heat island, it mostly cools down in the 24-26 degree range

[Valley Native]

The urban heat island is very much a reality, and the NWS records are proof of it. Here's a weather chart from May, 1967 (50 years ago) showing the high & low temperatures from each date. The statistics were taken at Sky Harbor, which is the same location as now. While the high temperature ranges are somewhat similar to a typical May in recent years, what's noticeably different is the overnight low temps. Phoenix would never have a 40 degree low temperature in May these days!

1967-05-01: 76 / 43
1967-05-02: 80 / 40
1967-05-03: 83 / 47
1967-05-04: 87 / 49
1967-05-05: 81 / 54
1967-05-06: 85 / 49
1967-05-07: 92 / 50
1967-05-08: 95 / 58
1967-05-09: 96 / 61
1967-05-10: 86 / 67
1967-05-11: 84 / 53
1967-05-12: 87 / 51
1967-05-13: 86 / 52
1967-05-14: 88 / 55
1967-05-15: 94 / 59
1967-05-16: 101 / 62
1967-05-17: 99 / 60
1967-05-18: 99 / 70
1967-05-19: 102 / 60
1967-05-20: 105 / 63
1967-05-21: 105 / 69
1967-05-22: 105 / 67
1967-05-23: 96 / 69
1967-05-24: 92 / 72
1967-05-25: 94 / 70
1967-05-26: 95 / 65
1967-05-27: 94 / 65
1967-05-28: 92 / 57
1967-05-29: 86 / 61
1967-05-30: 85 / 63
1967-05-31: 88 / 59

[locolife]

I agree that iincreases the overnight temps but does it make the days any warmer? don't think that's the case.