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PHOENIX -- With this month coming to an end, it appears that July of 2009 will be the hottest on record for Phoenix.
Through July 28, the average high temperature is 109.4 degrees making it the 3rd hottest on record behind July of 2005 and 1989.
The average low temperature is at 87.1 degrees, ranking it the warmest on record.
If we look at the average temperature, which is the average of the high and low, that number is 98.2, making it the hottest on record.
And some people wonder why there are so many complaints about the heat?! This is why! The Phoenix summers are becoming generally less tolerable, mostly due to the "urban heat island effect". The low temperatures are consistently becoming hotter as a result, as noted by the article's reference to the average low temperature being 87.1 degrees for the month. There used to be a time when 87 degrees was the WARMEST minimum temperature reading during an entire summer.
Also, warmer minimum temps tend to push daytime maximums even higher. This could be one reason why high temperatures have been consistently at 110 or above for much of the month. About the only thing that could possibly save us from this excessive heat is a heavy monsoon, as we had last year. It seems that a summer with above average rainfall or humidity is the only way to bring our temperatures down to normal, or slightly below.
OH PLEASE! And this June was the possibly the coldest June in Phoenix ever!!!
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Thursday, however, was the 14th consecutive day to stay below 100 degrees. That's the longest stretch of its kind in any June since 1913.
The lower temperatures have allowed people to sleep with windows open and drive with their arms out vehicle windows. Evenings, too, have been spent chatting with neighbors while children or grandchildren play. Those events are not life-changing, but they are, well, nice.
The average high temps for June are in the 100's, around 103°...this June we were flirting with 80° and low 90° temps and nights in the 50,60, and 70° range. In the desert there is always some give and take. How soon we forget! July is the hottest month for Phoenix on average. The average temperature is 107°. 109° isn't exactly reaching any record high temperatures. Now if we were constantly flirting with 115-118° then I'd probably complain some but coming off the months of May and June this year, there is NO complaining allowed, LOL!
Last edited by fcorrales80; 07-30-2009 at 12:24 AM..
Very true Charles22...also, the heat is not only in Arizona this summer but we are sharing it with parts of the country and especially the Northwest. Seattle recorded its HOTTEST temperature EVER and finally broke past 100° for the first time on record.
Portland was one degree shy of their hottest temp ever. Seattle has been 100-103° for some time now and today they hit their record hottest ever of 103° today! HORRIBLE, I've lived in Seattle more than anywhere else besides Phoenix and I can tell you it is NOT a pleasant experience. My friends are dying, LOL! Especially those that don't have AC since many homes and buildings in this region do not come standard with one. Not only that but because of all the bodies of water from the Sound, Ocean, and Lake Washington surrounding the region the humidity mixes with the heat and makes it even worse. The heat wave continues in Seattle. So while we are dealing with temps that are on average 2° "warmer" than normal, Seattle is dealing with a continuous heat-wave with temps 25-30° + from their normal high temps.
The average high temps for June are in the 100's, around 103°...this June we were flirting with 80° and low 90° temps and nights in the 50,60, and 70° range. In the desert there is always some give and take. How soon we forget! July is the hottest month for Phoenix on average. The average temperature is 107°. 109° isn't exactly reaching any record high temperatures. Now if we were constantly flirting with 115-118° then I'd probably complain some but coming off the months of May and June this year, there is NO complaining allowed, LOL!
Why are you in denial about the fact that Phoenix is becoming hotter overall?! The statistics are available as proof that the Valley has indeed gotten warmer over the past few decades as a result of the heat island effect caused by massive sprawl. Not only is the Phoenix climate becoming warmer, but there is evidence that the heat island is causing reduced moisture levels: CLIMATE OF PHOENIX: PART 1
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AVERAGE TEMPERATURE and RELATIVE HUMIDITY BY FIVE-YEAR PERIODS
1896-1995
5-Year Interval Temperature Relative Humidity
1896-1900 69.8 38
1901-1905 70.1 39
1906-1910 69.7 44
1911-1915 68.9 44
1916-1920 68.9 48
1921-1925 70.2 44
1926-1930 70.9 41
1931-1935 71.8 40
1956-1960 71.3 40
1936-1940 71.9 47
1941-1945 70.5 41
1946-1950 71.3 43
1951-1955 71.0 41
1961-1965 69.6 38
1966-1970 70.7 40
1971-1975 71.8 35
1976-1980 73.5 46
1981-1985 74.3 39
1986-1990 75.8 34
1991-1995 74.6 37
These values of relative humidity are averages of the five years. The yearly averages are based on the averages of the twelve months. The monthly averages are based on daily values taken at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.
These data also show high values in the 1910s and 1920s and low values in the 1970s and 1980s. This is in good agreement with the above research project.
It again points out that with urbanization, more buildings of all kinds, more paved surfaces and the heat island effect, the relative humidity decreases.
Admittedly, June was relatively pleasant this year, and that was caused by unusual late season low pressure systems from the Pacific. However, in past years (decades), the low temperatures during an equally "cool" June would have been in the high 50s and 60s. This year's June only had one minimum temperature in the 60s.
Also, there have been consistent record high temperatures every single year ... especially record high minimums. When was the last time Phoenix officially recorded a record low minimum temperature? December 23, 1990 (almost 19 years ago) when the low temperature was 26 degrees. And before that date, the last record low was in 1979 (11 years earlier). Further proof of warming ... not necessarily global warming, but a more localized urban type of greenhouse effect.
Why are you in denial about the fact that Phoenix is becoming hotter overall?! The statistics are available as proof that the Valley has indeed gotten warmer over the past few decades as a result of the heat island effect caused by massive sprawl. Not only is the Phoenix climate becoming warmer, but there is evidence that the heat island is causing reduced moisture levels: CLIMATE OF PHOENIX: PART 1
Admittedly, June was relatively pleasant this year, and that was caused by unusual late season low pressure systems from the Pacific. However, in past years (decades), the low temperatures during an equally "cool" June would have been in the high 50s and 60s. This year's June only had one minimum temperature in the 60s.
Also, there have been consistent record high temperatures every single year ... especially record high minimums. When was the last time Phoenix officially recorded a record low minimum temperature? December 23, 1990 (almost 19 years ago) when the low temperature was 26 degrees.
June was "pleasant" this year? It was downright cold relatively speaking. The whole world is apparently getting hotter. There is no denial of summers in the last few years that either have some hotter trends and some cooler trends. Much like this year with June. There has been discussion of this before; since we are in a drought situation in Arizona temperature swings and constants are harder to predict... much like this year. During years and decades of drought the recorded temperatures in regions become hotter than normal. This isn't a new or extraordinary event in Arizona, quite a normal and cyclical pattern. However, cyclical and repeating patterns of normal climate changes don't make for great news or hysteria from those prone to panic and have little knowledge of historical data beyond the present and resent history. Studies like those above have interesting data and reach a conclusion but still only a theory since other studies often counter each other and inconsistencies are the constant and not the exception. Much of the conclusions reached often are tied to the best outcome for the funding source paying for the "research project."
Phoenix also recorded a 29.8° low on December 29, 2008 and 31° this January. Freezing temperatures in Phoenix are EXTREMELY rare and frost is a far more common winter event compared to a freeze.
Last edited by fcorrales80; 07-30-2009 at 01:14 AM..
June was "pleasant" this year? It was downright cold relatively speaking.
It might have been "cold" in comparison to June of '08 (the fourth hottest June on record when we were on a consistent 110 + degree streak for much of the month). But for me and most of us, June of '09 was pleasant and more tolerable than many other Junes. Although the month ended up being cooler than normal, it was still a long shot from the coolest on record!
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Originally Posted by fcorrales80
There has been discussion of this before and currently we are in a drought situation in Arizona. During years and decades of drought, the recorded temperatures in regions become hotter than normal. This isn't a new or extraordinary event in Arizona, quite a normal and cyclical pattern.
Agree completely about the drought, which has been ongoing for about 13 years ... although it has become less in intensity compared to years like 2002. It is indeed (unfortunately) a cyclical pattern ... but even in past droughts, the temperatures still didn't always climb to excessively high levels like they do now. Why? The heat island was less of a factor in past cycles because the Phoenix region was much smaller and more agricultural.
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Originally Posted by fcorrales80
Phoenix also record 29.8° low on December 29, 2008 and 31° this January. Freezing temperatures in Phoenix are EXTREMELY rare and frost is a far more common winter event compared to a freeze.
Honestly, I don't know where you obtain some of your data. The coldest official temperature in December of '08 was 34 degrees. In January of this year, the lowest temperature was 40 degrees. It might have been in the high 20s/low 30s in some of the outlying suburban areas, but not at Sky Harbor where the official Phoenix statistics are gathered. National Weather Service - NWS Phoenix
It might have been "cold" in comparison to June of '08 (the fourth hottest June on record when we were on a consistent 110 + degree streak for much of the month). But for me and most of us, June of '09 was pleasant and more tolerable than many other Junes. Although the month ended up being cooler than normal, it was still a long shot from the coolest on record!
We've had 15 days this summer with temps between 110°-114° and one day with a recorded temp of 115° at Sky Harbor. We've had three days with temps at or above 110° but tomorrow and the last day of July will be 106-108°. These temps bracket the normal high temp in July. June was considered one of the coldest on record because we came close to setting record low highs a few times and record low lows as well. History : Weather Underground
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Agree completely about the drought, which has been ongoing for about 13 years ... although it has become less in intensity compared to years like 2002. It is indeed (unfortunately) a cyclical pattern ... but even in past droughts, the temperatures still didn't always climb to excessively high levels like they do now. Why? The heat island was less of a factor in past cycles because the Phoenix region was much smaller and more agricultural.
Temps have been hotter in past cycles. We don't break daily temp records that go back as far as the 1910's and 1920's. This is from the study you posted and an admitted reason for increased temps during times of drought:
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The climate of a location is the synthesis of several elements. The temporal variations of several of these elements is shown in the graph on the following page.
The temperature of the air is probably the element that most people are aware of. Yet air temperature is the result of many other climatic elements. The most important is the receipt of solar energy, for solar energy is the force that drives most of the other climatic elements. The daily amounts of solar energy that are received at the top of the atmosphere (the extra-terrestrial radiation, or ETR) is shown in curve A. The amounts vary from nearly a thousand Langleys (1 Langley = 1 calorie per square centimeter) on the day of the Summer Solstice to about 400 Langleys on the day of the Winter Solstice. Clouds reflect a substantial portion of the solar energy. More is absorbed by water vapor in the air, and even the atmosphere itself will scatter a portion of the solar energy back to space as well as absorb a portion.
During a drought, there is less formation of cloud cover that would "reflect a substantial portion of the solar energy" that heats up the air at ground level. Furthermore, the air in a drought also is heated more because there is less "water vapor in the air" which helps to reflect even more solar energy from the ground back towards space. When the drought cycle ends things "normalize" and periods of excessive rain often occur. Kind of like monsoon seasons in the 80's which produced heavy periods of above normal rainfall totals. This occurred in the 90's as well and the most significant effect in the Phoenix area during the 90's happened in 1993 when the "New Mill Avenue" bridge over what is now the Tempe Town Lake washed away.
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Honestly, I don't know where you obtain some of your data. The coldest official temperature in December of '08 was 34 degrees. In January of this year, the lowest temperature was 40 degrees. It might have been in the high 20s/low 30s in some of the outlying suburban areas, but not at Sky Harbor where the official Phoenix statistics are gathered. National Weather Service - NWS Phoenix
I was wrong here, I WAS looking at temperatures in my neighborhood and in other areas of Phoenix not at Sky Harbor for Dec '08 and Jan '09. Those were the coldest temps reached, 34 and 40. However, my neighborhood is in downtown Phoenix, a few miles from the airport. Often, Sky Harbor and downtown record lower temperatures, especially in the summer than outlying suburbs like Avondale, Goodyear, Surprise, Apache Junction, etc. This is an inconsistency in many "urban heat island" reports and why it is still considered a theory and not a scientific fact. Global warming has more substance, especially in the poles, and so it has moved from a theory to an accepted conclusion. That is the difference; conflicting empirical data.
Last edited by fcorrales80; 07-30-2009 at 02:14 AM..
This year is a stark contrast to last year. The highest it got last year was 111 degrees, and that was only for one day. Yesterday was 112, and today it got up to 107. They just said on the news we have already had 4 days this year 110 and over. I am not enjoying it at all. I do agree this was the most beautiful June I have ever seen, but it looks like we are making up for it now.
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I guess every Forum has THE KNOW IT ALL
I am not enjoying it at all. I do agree this was the most beautiful June I have ever seen, but it looks like we are making up for it now.
