If Phoenix is that hot, why do so many move there? (winter, drive)

[Howest2008]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

This is not meant to be sarcastic at all, but a real question: If it is so gawdawful hot there--and I really have never been there but am interested--why do so many move there? It seems folks there are stuck in the air conditioning for 4-5 months of the year. Can someone clarify this for me?
I'm seriously looking to move there because there are so many baby boomers there, but people in the Midwest keep telling me how hot it is there and that I will not like it.
The Phoenix region surely has to be better for my allergies than Houston was where I had cold-like symptoms way more than I ever should have had.
But, if people are getting stuck living in their homes for 4-5 months of the year due to the heat, that's just like living in Chicago where folks get stuck in the house for 4-5 months of the year due to the chilling cold. Dang!

The winters are great in Arizona , even though the Summers can sometime be brutal.

[bobsell]

I see it like this.

Chicago (and many other cities) - three bad seasons, one decent season (Summer)

Phoenix - three beautiful seasons, one bad season (summer)

I think this is a good trade.

[DougStark]

I thought late spring and early fall were the best times of the year in the midwest (Chicagoland.) I have many memories of summer not being comfortable.

[yukon]

I'd rather have the 100+ degree days here than the 95 degrees + gawdawful humidity days I suffered thru in Dallas and on the Gulf Coast. I was running errands yesterday with the car windows down. It was pretty nice. Trick is to spend some time outside daily, even if it's in the shade, so you can get acclimated.

[wit-nit]

In Minneapolis today 100 degree (105 heat index) sweaty hot muggy humidity, worse than any AZ hot day.

[fluffythewondercat]

The last three days haven't seemed hot at all. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that people who want something to complain about always find it.

[bobsell]

Originally Posted by DougStark

I thought late spring and early fall were the best times of the year in the midwest (Chicagoland.) I have many memories of summer not being comfortable.

I've seen many times where we had winter temperatures very late in spring and very early in fall.

This year we had snow in April and spring was about a week or two in May before turning to Summer temps now.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

In Minneapolis today 100 degree (105 heat index) sweaty hot muggy humidity, worse than any AZ hot day.

The difference here is that in a day or two that horrid weather is gone and replaced by luscious, cooler, drier air. Here we don't get a break for 4+ STRAIGHT months.

[KurtAZ]

What Big Cats said...they get one day and people are like "look it gets hot here too!". It is raining most of the week in Minneapolis and they should be getting down to the 70s. We probably won't see double digit highs again until late Sept/early October.

[Jnvlv247]

From a New England prospective, you can't really expect or plan for the weather over there. Where in AZ, or the Valley specifically, you KNOW it will be sunny and hot in the summer. You know the winter will be warm and with an occasional cold spell. Jacket, jeans, shorts and t-shirts and maybe parasols are pretty much the only things needed to survive a year here.

Back in CT/MA, it didn't even "warm up" till May and they can still get cold spells (60s) I always look at temps from other places where we have fam and esp back in NE, their weather is all over the place.