Who really enjoys the heat in Phoenix? (Flagstaff, Prescott: job market, cost of living)

[marino760]

Originally Posted by BMW R1100

Lizards, scorpions, and snakes love it.

They tolerate it, but I doubt they love it. Even so, lizards, scorpions and snakes are not running around during the day. They are in shade or have borrows going under ground and come out at night to look for food. They would die if out in the sun with no shelter in a short period of time.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by garden17

All this babble about dry heat is a stretch. I've been hearing it nonstop since we moved here and it's becoming a cliche.

At least the heat is dry. Casually say that to people who were without electricity for hours. Mention that to the families who lost loved ones due to heat-associated causes. Tell that to the unfortunate travelers who parked in that airport lot and had their vehicles burned to a crisp from the propane fires. Go ahead, say it's just a dry heat to the firefighters who put their lives on the line, or to the families who lost 19 firefighters in the big AZ blaze 10 years ago. Dry heat can be dangerous and even deadly.

Try being stranded with a dead car battery, overheated engine, or a broken-down HVAC system in the middle of summer. How pleasant would the heat be then?

Not everyone can go on vacation to get away from these temperatures. Some of us have important responsibilities that make us stay here and endure this heat whether we like it or not.

We know there is no utopia and other places can be worse than PHX, but record heat waves like this are nothing to take lightly. Climate change is a fact and the effect on cities like PHX is much more pervasive because of massive urban sprawl.

You have to forgive people for putting their best efforts into not admitting how hot it feels outside during the day even with low humidity. After all, they've chosen to live there. I can certainly understand living in the hot desert SW for many reasons but extreme summer heat is tolerated because it's there.
Does anyone notice that when it's 115 outside, the heat index is also about 115? The heat index doesn't lower into the 80s or even 90s because of low humidity. If it's 115, it feels like 115, LOL

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

I find it interesting that some people complain so much about the heat in Arizona, specifically Phoenix. I loved it there, heat and all.

Prior to Phoenix, I lived in Oregon. I hated that weather. The natives loved it. They couldn't understand why I didn't like it. Many of them did leave in January or February for a vacation in Hawaii or Las Vegas, though. As soon as my relative passed away, I high-tailed it for the desert. Unloaded my rental truck in 106 degree weather. It felt awesome.

I'm in a situation now where I don't like the weather - especially compared to Arizona - but I don't go around constantly complaining about it. I will either change it or I won't. Time will tell.

Here is the average monthly high temps in Fargo... If you are still interested.

Average Max. Temperature (F) 16.0 21.7 34.7 54.0 68.0 76.8 82.6 81.1 70.2 57.0 36.9 21.7

[pathrunner]

Ha! Not a chance. Thanks for the laugh!

I'll bet Briggs took a real beating for that statement.

[KO Stradivarius]

Originally Posted by marino760

You have to forgive people for putting their best efforts into not admitting how hot it feels outside during the day even with low humidity. After all, they've chosen to live there. I can certainly understand living in the hot desert SW for many reasons but extreme summer heat is tolerated because it's there.
Does anyone notice that when it's 115 outside, the heat index is also about 115? The heat index doesn't lower into the 80s or even 90s because of low humidity. If it's 115, it feels like 115, LOL

Here is a deeper dive on the Heat Index. 115 in AZ can feel like 110 if the humidity is low enough at 10%. 115 at 15% feels like 115, which is where your example is valid, but not at lower humidities.

For example, I've often seen single digit humidity readings in AZ, and often 65% and many times higher readings in Michigan.

Texas just recently had some temps in the 100's with high humidity, e.g., 105 deg at 60% => Heat Index = 149 deg!!

See link from the National Weather Service Heat Index Calculator: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml

Using this calculator:

Arizona at 115 degrees, 10% humidity => Heat Index (HI) = 110 (feels like temp)

AZ at 115, 15% humid => HI = 115
115 at 20% humid => HI = 121

So in a humid place:
95 deg at 62% humid => HI = 115
95 deg at 65% humid => HI = 118

So if you play with the numbers, a humid place on a high heat day can feel just as hot or hotter as Arizona on a high heat day (per the Heat Index correlation). Humidity does matter. So dry heat is actually a thing. LOL

[Greenvalleyfan]

Originally Posted by garden17

All this babble about dry heat is a stretch. I've been hearing it nonstop since we moved here and it's becoming a cliche.

At least the heat is dry. Casually say that to people who were without electricity for hours. Mention that to the families who lost loved ones due to heat-associated causes. Tell that to the unfortunate travelers who parked in that airport lot and had their vehicles burned to a crisp from the propane fires. Go ahead, say it's just a dry heat to the firefighters who put their lives on the line, or to the families who lost 19 firefighters in the big AZ blaze 10 years ago. Dry heat can be dangerous and even deadly.

Try being stranded with a dead car battery, overheated engine, or a broken-down HVAC system in the middle of summer. How pleasant would the heat be then?

Not everyone can go on vacation to get away from these temperatures. Some of us have important responsibilities that make us stay here and endure this heat whether we like it or not.

We know there is no utopia and other places can be worse than PHX, but record heat waves like this are nothing to take lightly. Climate change is a fact and the effect on cities like PHX is much more pervasive because of massive urban sprawl.

Yawn...

[marino760]

Originally Posted by KO Stradivarius

Here is a deeper dive on the Heat Index. 115 in AZ can feel like 110 if the humidity is low enough at 10%. 115 at 15% feels like 115, which is where your example is valid, but not at lower humidities.

For example, I've often seen single digit humidity readings in AZ, and often 65% and many times higher readings in Michigan.

Texas just recently had some temps in the 100's with high humidity, e.g., 105 deg at 60% => Heat Index = 149 deg!!

See link from the National Weather Service Heat Index Calculator: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml

Using this calculator:

Arizona at 115 degrees, 10% humidity => Heat Index (HI) = 110 (feels like temp)

AZ at 115, 15% humid => HI = 115
115 at 20% humid => HI = 121

So in a humid place:
95 deg at 62% humid => HI = 115
95 deg at 65% humid => HI = 118

So if you play with the numbers, a humid place on a high heat day can feel just as hot or hotter as Arizona on a high heat day (per the Heat Index correlation). Humidity does matter. So dry heat is actually a thing. LOL

Of course humidity matters. My only point is that low humidity makes little difference in the heat index because some people like to sound as if a low humidity makes it feel like the temp has dropped by 20 degrees. It doesn't. 115 degrees with a 15% humidity still feels like about 115. Still incredibly hot. Low humidity doesn't make it feel cooler.

[maverick974]

For me, low humidity means I'm not drenched in sweat. The heat is much easier to handle if your not sticking and stinking in your shirt.
I was out at Canyon Lake today on the jet skis. Air temp was 113 but water temp was around 82. Made for a very pleasant day.
Just sayin'.

[KO Stradivarius]

Originally Posted by marino760

Of course humidity matters. My only point is that low humidity makes little difference in the heat index because some people like to sound as if a low humidity makes it feel like the temp has dropped by 20 degrees. It doesn't. 115 degrees with a 15% humidity still feels like about 115. Still incredibly hot. Low humidity doesn't make it feel cooler.

Disagree. Humidity does make a big difference in the Heat Index. Low humidity DOES make it feel a little cooler. Not 20 degrees in AZ, but the example I gave was 115 degrees, 10% humidity => feels like 110. More examples: 115 @8% = 108. 110 @ 8% = 103. That will feel 7 degrees cooler, which is significant enough to feel the difference. Still hot, but it would feel slightly cooler.

And other places with high humidity will fell much hotter. And low humidity in those places would make it feel much cooler.

[popwar]

3rd summer here , hope its my last. Even getting to go up north for a few days every week is not enough. Someone cross their fingers and hope I leave. I can deal with summers in the low 90s for the high , but anything over 100 , no.