Considering moving from North Florida to Phoenix. Wow its dry. Input needed.

[phx1205]

Originally Posted by Stacksilverson

I got back to Florida a few days ago and when the wave of humidity hit me I almost teared up it felt so good. It was pouring rain when I got back and I rode with the windows down all the way home. The relief was amazing and everything has almost healed up now.

I travel quite a bit, and this is exactly how I feel when I step off the plane in Phoenix; especially Summer evenings. I get a nice whiff of the warm dry air, and I immediate feel at ease because I know I’m home.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by Stacksilverson

Hey everybody,

I'm considering moving from North Florida to Phoenix for work and I have some questions and concerns.

So I've visited Phoenix multiple times in the spring and really loved the city. The culture, things to do/see, and the desert landscape are pretty cool compared to where I'm from and looks like it would be fun to try out. I already have a better job lined up at my company there too so it works career wise too. Overall it makes sense on paper.

My only concern is the climate/weather. I've been out there to visit before but only for maybe 2 or 3 days before returning home. I was out there looking at places for 8 days last week and had some real trouble. The first couple of days I didnt notice anything other than my lips and mouth being a little dry with some skin dryness as well. By day 5 or 6 the tops of my hands were essentially peeling off and extremely dry. My nose was full of blood and I was bathing my hands and head in lotion constantly with no relief. I was also drinking an exorbitant amount of water (3 liters plus daily) with no avail. The worst thing that happened to me was that I was having a real hard time regulating my body temperature. Even though it was a very pleasant March day weather wise, I was freezing cold at all times. My body could just not get warm no matter what I did. I was wearing 3 or 4 layers of shirts with 3 layers of socks and still not warm. Needless to say, people were looking at me like I was crazy. This was the most troubling thing I experienced that made me doubt if I could make it in the desert climate. I got back to Florida a few days ago and when the wave of humidity hit me I almost teared up it felt so good. It was pouring rain when I got back and I rode with the windows down all the way home. The relief was amazing and everything has almost healed up now.

So has anyone else experienced this? How long did this last for you? Any remedies? Humidifier? I've done research online and I know people go through transition periods before getting acclimated to the weather but mine seemed rather harsh with the body temperature thing really messing me up. The city looks great, but going from the wettest place in the nation (90% humidify almost daily) to the dryest (I saw 8% when I was there) might be too much for this swamp guy.

Thanks again.

I grew up in New Orleans and hate the humidity and do much better in the dry heat of Arizona, you sound the opposite....if you like and do well in humidity, why leave?

My brother from Louisiana met us for a week in Arizona in March and noted how the lack of humidity made it feel cooler as well for him...but he liked that feeling.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by phx1205

I travel quite a bit, and this is exactly how I feel when I step off the plane in Phoenix; especially Summer evenings. I get a nice whiff of the warm dry air, and I immediate feel at ease because I know I’m home.

That is so nice isn't it? As much as Phoenix growth and decay irritates me these days, it is always wonderful to feel the dry air again after being in a humid area. I feel the same when the monsoon gives it up in September too. Ahhhh.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

That is so nice isn't it? As much as Phoenix growth and decay irritates me these days, it is always wonderful to feel the dry air again after being in a humid area. I feel the same when the monsoon gives it up in September too. Ahhhh.

I'm the exact opposite. The dry air much of the year gets to be very monotonous, and it's always refreshing when we get Pacific storm systems to moisten the air and wash out all the pollution. The summer monsoon is hot & miserable with the increased humidity, but the rare occasion when a heavy thunderstorm moves in and brings rain to the entire metro area makes it much more pleasant to be outside. Consistent dryness has no long term positive effects. All it does is make the drought conditions and air quality worse. At the same time, I do agree that being in a region with oppressive humidity (Florida) can get tiresome as well.

[Jnvlv247]

I was just in Tampa area the past week and it was a very dry time for them. Temps mostly upper 70s/low 80s with DP sometimes as low as 40s. So the RH was about 35-50%. The first day there was quite humid but it was not bad at all. I know FL has a "dry" season. Coming back here to the teen and single digit RH is nice. The sun, I feel, is more intense here in AZ