http://www.azcentral.com
Lower temps lure residents out of hiding
Michael Clancy and William Hermann
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 28, 2006 12:00 AM
Valley residents love the monsoon season, and days like Wednesday and Thursday are why.
For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the temperature moderated to a humane level. Clouds filled the sky, car windows opened and people emerged from their self-imposed, air-conditioned cocoons.
Temperatures remained under 100 degrees on consecutive days for the first time since Memorial Day. Wednesday's high of 98 was the first time the temperature stayed under 100 since July 7, after the monsoon season's first rain fell. Thursday's 94 was the lowest maximum since May 29. advertisement
Even better, nighttime temperatures dropped into the 70s on consecutive nights, the first time that has happened since June 16-17.
"Finally being under 110 degrees is a wonderful thing," said Rochanne Corpus, 54, of Peoria. "I commute to downtown Phoenix and stop at a park and ride; it was actually nice there this morning. I felt a real breeze!"
There's every reason to feel relief. The relatively cool air comes on the heels of 12 high-temperature record days this month, and 18 since the beginning of June.
If record daytime highs were getting tedious, the record warm nights were getting downright frustrating.
Bridget Alfano, 24, of Mesa who moved to the Valley from Chicago about two years ago, said the recent heat wave "was killing me!"
So far this year, the Valley has seen 19 days that exceed 110 degrees, well above the average of 10 days and only nine days short of the all-time record of 28, set in 1979. Included was a 118-degree day last week that seemed to jump-start the monsoon rains.
We also have seen 11 nights when the temperature did not drop below 90, including a toasty 95 on Saturday.
No wonder the cooling rains, the lower temperatures and the cloudy skies were welcome.
"These clouds, these dark skies, I love it! It reminds me of home. And I'm not sweating like a you-know-what," Alfano said.
But while the clouds have a silver lining, they retain some darkness.
Humidity ranged from 35 to 87 percent Wednesday, and on Thursday at noon, it was lingering in the high 50s. Dew points were in the 79-degree range all day.
With temperatures in the 90s, the air is far from comfortable.
Jeremy Collins, 26, found himself walking along the hot and humid streets in downtown Phoenix on Thursday after the sun had burned off the clouds.
"Man, this humidity will suck the life out of you," Collins said, wiping his sweaty brow. "Still, 118 degrees it's not, so I can't complain too much."
there were NO BREAKS, NONE, ZERO between lightning strokes, mainly CC but some major CG thrown in, received 1.31" in an hour and a half, then came this morning! We had a temp of 63° with a DP of 61-62° and then the fog came, I swear, it looked like the marine layer in San Diego during the days of the June Gloom........and it's BACK, no rain just yet but this errie marine layer looking clouds, low to the ground and moving fast!!
its the chorus to a song, but I bet that is probably how you feel...
