Summer in the Desert!

[azskyman]

OK, so this is a weather topic....but not really.

I was about to head outside for my 45 minutes of work on the home landscaping preparations this evening when the remnant gust front winds from an afternoon storm miles away and long since dissipated hit north Scottsdale. I'd estimate gusts to 40 mph+ at times. Blowing dust as usual. Skies were just partly cloudy.

The kicker of course was that the temperature during those 40 mph winds remained between 101 and 107.

During my five decades in Illinois, even a remnant gust front like this would drop temps some 5-15 degrees in the summer....but not so here.

In fact, if breezes hold up overnight, we are likely to keep our low temperature ABOVE the 90-degree mark tonight. We rarely drop into the 70's this time of year.

Summer is not what brings an average growth of 3,000 new residents to Arizona each month. Rather it is what follows in about 7 or 8 more weeks...and lasts through May, sometimes into June.

I have a couple of people who work for me who do not have air conditioning...never have had. Not sure how they can do it. I could not.

And every day...I mean EVERY day, I see people out in their shorts and running shoes jogging in the middle of the day.

Are any of you heat tolerant enough that you could do those things in the middle of a Sonoran Desert summer? (I know, but it is a DRY heat!).

[Guest]

Definitely NOT me. I'm with you on this one. I hardly do anything outside during mid day. Either first thing in the morning or as the sun is setting.
...Jennifer...

P.S. Some people have no air conditioning? I think I would die, lol.

[azsnowman]

No Sir, I whine, snivel, complain and get down right NASTY (grouchy) when the temp. hits 90°, take for instance yesterday, we were 2° away from an ALL time record high, we hit 97° at 1421 hrs, the old record, 99° in 1980, I stayed INSIDE after work, we only worked 3 hours anyways cuz of our new position with the PLPD, we had the A/C crankin' till 1500 hrs when the temp plummeted to a CHILLY 61° thanks to numerous showers we had skirting the Rim.

Dennis

[NWIASpotter]

Even though it is a DRY heat, theres no way I could live without AC!! I love just here in Iowa where we barely, if ever reach 100. I could probably deal with doing stuff during the day, but I would have to have some place that is cool.

[Aslkahuna]

Actually, it's not always a dry heat down here-not with dewpoints reaching into the 60's and 70's and in Yuma, that humidity is persistent enough that evaporative coolers do not work during the Summer (same for SV though normally our temperatures are also cooler because we usually get rain in the afternoon-though not this year). As for me, I frequently drive around without the A/C on and for years had a pickup truck without A/C which I used to drive to Vegas in. Hottest weather I ever drove that truck in was only 118F. I spent many years in the Tropics so I'm used to heat-it's cold weather that bugs me big time.

Steve

[furluvcats]

Having just returned from a long hot trip through the Mohaje twice in 3 days, with a visit in Las Vegas, I have to say it must be very hard to do normal things in that heat! Our temps climbed as high as 117 on the drive and not sure what it topped out at in LV. Last night we were sitting around the pool arouns midnight and a gusty breeze whipped through the hotel buildings and it did actually cool things down for a few minutes...not by any real standards, but enough to feel the difference! I don't want to live in the desert....the valley is close enough as it is...give me the Santa Ana's any day over the occasional hot breeze in the desert!

[NWIASpotter]

Aslkahuna...see now cold weather doesn't bother me at all. I mean I can walk outside and do something when its 10-20 degrees in just a sweatshirt and pants, given that it probably isn't good for you, but hey I'm young, I'm not supposed to do things good for me haha. Anyways, I can handle some hot weather, but then again I haven't got the chance to be in 110 degree weather, I think the hottest temps I have been in is around 105, but heat indices of 125 don't feel to good for me...

[azskyman]

Even those of us who tolerate heat better than cold (I am miserable on a windy day when it is 38 outside!), we do come to a point about mid September when we say, "Enough already!"

[Aslkahuna]

Actually, there is a significant difference between a Heat Index of 125F and an actual temperature of 125F. The latter will always feel hotter especially when there is a wind blowing because instead of cooling you down, it will feel like a Blast Furnace. The worse Santa Ana I ever was in was in San Diego in the early '90's when it hit 107F at the beaches with 60mph wind gusts-that was not nice. For those not familiar with Santa Anas, contrary to popular opinion they are NOT hot desert winds but arise when a large strong Cool-cold High parks itself over the High Desert. The winds get their heat from the compression that occurs when the air comes off the high desert down to sea level. The air is already dry so the humidity gets lower than a snake's belly. The winds funnel through the Canyons resulting in the areas in and below the Canyons seeing very high winds. In this regard, they are similar to the Chinooks of the western Plains and the Canyon Winds experienced here in the lee of the Huachucas and in the Lee of the Wasatch in UT.

Steve

[NWIASpotter]

Sorry about the confusion Aslkuhuna, I was just trying to state that I have been in heat indices of 125 and that wasn't to pleasant for me. I haven't been able to experience some of your desert heat, but if I get the chance sometime I will. But thanks for the nice explanation on the Santa Ana's!!

[azskyman]

The Asst State Climatologist for Colorado and I are longtime acquaintances....known him for years. It was on his recommendation that I became a member of the American Association of State Climatologists back in the 1980's.....

Anyway, he told me once, "I just want to come to Phoenix sometime so I can experience the feeling of an overnight LOW of 90-degrees!"

So far this summer, our lows have dropped at least into the upper 80's every night. No 90-plus readings for lows at my house!!

[Aslkahuna]

Hey, if he went to Death Valley he could experience an overnight low of 100F. We have had three nights where the low didn't go below 80F here which is unusual for our elevation-they occurred in June during the barnburner heatwaves of 1990 and 1994 which saw those 120F readings in PHX.

Steve