If Phoenix is that hot, why do so many move there? (new house, schools)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Mr.Retired

The Good Points:
Scottsdale is beautiful. 8 months out of the year. Perfect senior weather ( clear up them joint problems ).
Night sky is gorgeous. You can literally see the universe.


The Bad Points:
The other 4 months well,
Arizona is called the Valley of the Sun
More like the surface of the Sun ! L.O.L.
You can'y go out barefoot or without a hat. Drink plenty of water.Sorry.The water sucks.
No need for towels after coming out of the pool. You instantly dry off.
All cars are cloth covered ,no plastic or leather unless you want to fry.
All cars come with Standard A.C.
Can't lean on your car during those hot days . Advise to keep it garaged.


That's my quick take.

Spoken like a true New Yorker, about as black and white as you can get! Are you from the city?

Just a few additional points I wold think most retirees could take advantage of-

Arizona isn’t the valley of the sun, Phoenix is. That’s because you’re just down the road from
Arizona’s high country where many places rarely exceed 90 degrees for high temps, if I was retired I would aim to summer in the white mountains or Prescott or flagstaff, or even Payson. If limited on $ there are cost effective means such as an RV, mobile home, etc.

If one stays in the valley through summer, like around 5 million of us do, there are nearly endless indoor options for the hottest hours of the day (11am to 6pm) and most cater to the retirement crowd with discounts for age and time of the day. Movies, a dozen or more museums, aquariums, performing arts, sports (MLB, WNBA, Arena Football are all indoors), endless indoor malls, indoor and outdoor pools, early morning and night time hikes/nature walks, and so on....

If you don’t like the water a filter works wonders these days, we use one and the water tastes outstanding.

Good news on cars and homes for that matter, I haven’t seen a new home or car without air conditioning in all 50 states in the last 40 years or so. I think it’s a fairly safe bet this accessory will be available to almost anyone.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

I'm enjoying this forecast, to be honest. Anything over 100 still sucks, but 115+ is where I am reminded that PHX really does have the worst big city temps in the States. The evenings have still been a little enjoyable, too. Its a bit warmer than I like, but not oppressive. Yet.

A few days a year it’s super hot in the late afternoon is much better than almost anywhere in the midwest or southeast.

Really I can’t even believe people would argue this. The upper Midwest like the dakotas and Montana both herb blazing hot in the summer and frigid in the winter areas of Michigan and Wisconsin are cold from
September to may, the east coast is socked in by snow for half of the spring, and the southeast is regularly 100+ with humidity.

115 for a few hours a year is vastly superior to take than months of freezing temps, humidity, snow and dreary rain.

[Burkmere]

Originally Posted by locolife

On a 70 below day with windchills the best part of the day is likely 100 degrees below ideal of 70 outside, assuming it was at least 30 below at some point on that type of day. On a 115 day it’s abour 45 degrees above ideal but low was likely in the 80s and you can go out in the early morning for hikes, walks etc... plus the lakes, rivers and pools feel fantastic.

I find Phoenix summers way more tolerable than northern winters.

Yes, my point basically was that Phoenix may not have the "worst" weather. True, it's very, very hot for months on end. Much of that is tolerable. And it's sunny.

I actually like Minneapolis having spent much time there, but from December though February, and sometimes outside of that timeframe there are some absolutely brutal days upon end. So, I don't see Phoenix as worst weather even when comparing the extremes.

April through most of October though in Mpls is very tolerable and often times nice. It's a great city all in all when you throw in quality of life.

As a retired person, it's those other six months that bother me.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by wase4711

70 below windchills much worse
115, means stay inside with ac on
70 below windchills, pipes can freeze, furnace can malfunction, slippery and icy everywhere
I remember one day many years ago, windchill in Chicago -83.. in humane day to even step out for a second, and I was a big time ice fishing/cold weather lover back then..

no comparison 115 is a zillion times more tolerable

That was one freak day. One. Normal winter temps are in the mid-to-lower 30s, with a sprinkle of sub zero days and a sprinkle of 60+ degree temps.


115 here happens several days annually. Big difference.


I prefer the 115 to sub zero temps, but both are uncomfortable. I had to change my car battery on a brutally cold -20F night, and I was outside for a good 30 minutes and was AOK. Why? Because I dressed appropriately.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by Obadno

A few days a year it’s super hot in the late afternoon is much better than almost anywhere in the midwest or southeast.

Really I can’t even believe people would argue this. The upper Midwest like the dakotas and Montana both herb blazing hot in the summer and frigid in the winter areas of Michigan and Wisconsin are cold from
September to may, the east coast is socked in by snow for half of the spring, and the southeast is regularly 100+ with humidity.

115 for a few hours a year is vastly superior to take than months of freezing temps, humidity, snow and dreary rain.

The Dakota's and Montana CAN get blazing hot, but only for a few days. Summers there are glorious for the most part, hence the reason many people from here retreat to their summer homes in the Dakotas, MT, CO, WA, etc. And MI and WI aren't cold from September til May, unless youre talking the extreme northern areas. May is generally very pleasant, as is June, July, August, September, October, and many times well into November. Its not til Thanksgiving or so that the cold really starts to set in. And 100+ degrees in the SE isn't too common either. I'm with you about the humidity, though. Coastal SE and inland SE can be atrocious in summer.

[Jnvlv247]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

That was one freak day. One. Normal winter temps are in the mid-to-lower 30s, with a sprinkle of sub zero days and a sprinkle of 60+ degree temps.


115 here happens several days annually. Big difference.


I prefer the 115 to sub zero temps, but both are uncomfortable. I had to change my car battery on a brutally cold -20F night, and I was outside for a good 30 minutes and was AOK. Why? Because I dressed appropriately.

I agree with the dressing part, you cannot really dress properly for heat. I guess improperly but hard to do it right. In fact, you SHOULD be more covered than you think due to the extreme UVs here during this month especially.

On a positive note, traffic has decreased, still very heavy but not like peak winter.

Still seeing a lot of visits and moves to AZ on my social media

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by BIG CATS

The Dakota's and Montana CAN get blazing hot, but only for a few days. Summers there are glorious for the most part, hence the reason many people from here retreat to their summer homes in the Dakotas, MT, CO, WA, etc. And MI and WI aren't cold from September til May, unless youre talking the extreme northern areas. May is generally very pleasant, as is June, July, August, September, October, and many times well into November. Its not til Thanksgiving or so that the cold really starts to set in. And 100+ degrees in the SE isn't too common either. I'm with you about the humidity, though. Coastal SE and inland SE can be atrocious in summer.

Just curious, if you dislike it here so much and so love the Chicagoland that you left, did you ever consider moving back?....

[Mac58]

Originally Posted by obadno

a few days a year it’s super hot in the late afternoon is much better than almost anywhere in the midwest or southeast.

Really i can’t even believe people would argue this. The upper midwest like the dakotas and montana both herb blazing hot in the summer and frigid in the winter areas of michigan and wisconsin are cold from
september to may, the east coast is socked in by snow for half of the spring, and the southeast is regularly 100+ with humidity.

115 for a few hours a year is vastly superior to take than months of freezing temps, humidity, snow and dreary rain.

this.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

Just curious, if you dislike it here so much and so love the Chicagoland that you left, did you ever consider moving back?....

What, and not have anything to complain about?

[Spuggy]

I come from a part of the world where I don't mind foggy moors, and rainy days and temperate climate so I never imagined I would ever live in such a HOT place as Arizona. We moved here to be closer to our son, dil and grandchild and this is our first summer here. I love Arizona, it's got a strange beauty that I've never experienced before, and the temp and landscape changes within a couple of hours is amazing. The heat yes is a major major challenge for me, but I am finding so far I can cope with it, even able to sit outside in the evening when it's a 100 degrees when there is a slight breeze. I'm not used to drinking so much water and feel like a water barrel sloshing around the place lol. I've also had to increase my salt intake as I am notoriously bad about eating enough salt in my diet. I try not to go out in the sun too much and feel a bit of a hermit, BUT then I was a bit of a hermit in the winter months in Ohio.