Arizona's infamous summer heat is a worsening menace. Global warming and Phoenix's sun-soaked urban core make blistering heat waves like this week's increasingly dangerous, especially to the poor and elderly. Imagine a Phoenix that tops out at 125 degrees, 130 degrees or worse.
Arizona is Close to the Equator and has Higher Elevation
Another reason it's location makes it so hot is it's proximity to the equator. It's about 2,300 miles from the equator, which is close enough to mean it receives a lot of the sun's energy, especially at the end of the year.Hottest States in America
During every season, Florida, Louisiana and Texas are consistently among the top four of the nation's hottest states, based on state-wide average temperatures. Florida ranks overall as the warmest state year round. The other state in the top four is Hawaii.The main cities in Arizona are much hotter than any part of Texas. Texas has far more humidity so some might argue it is more miserable. Both states are diverse and large, or huge in the case of Texas.
The heat tends to "break" - cool evenings, days in the 80s - about mid-October. The coldest part of the year is usually late December or early January, with highs in the 60s, lows in the 40s. A rare cold streak would be a high in the 50s, low in the upper 20s.
Four years after Phoenix hit 122, Lake Havasu City reached 128 degrees on June 29, 1994, the highest temperature ever recorded in Arizona. It's also one of the hottest temps ever when comparing each states' record high.
Islam's holiest city is also the world's hottest city. Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is the warmest inhabited place on earth. Its average annual temperature is 87.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In summer, temperatures can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Despite the high heat, Arizona contains 10 of the 500 safest cities of the United States to live in. Other safe cities elsewhere in the state are Oro Valley with a rating of 86.71, Lake Havasu City near the Nevada border with a rating of 82.38, or Flagstaff on the way to the Grand Canyon.
Palm Springs can beat the other two on many days. It's unbearable. Phoenix is the hottest of those three cities. However, El Centro, CA, Death Valley, and the towns along the lower Colorado River (Laughlin, Yuma, etc) are even hotter than Phoenix.
The truth is that because Phoenix humidity levels are lower than many other regions of the country, 100 degrees F may not feel as horrible or suffocating in the Valley of the Sun as it does when temperatures rise to triple digits in parts of the country that have higher levels of humidity.
According to the National Weather Service, the average July high temperature in the Phoenix area for the past 10 years has hovered around 106 Fahrenheit, and it breaks the 100-degree mark more than 100 days a year, but relative humidity is low, and air-conditioning is ubiquitous.
It's no secret that Arizona is hot in the summer, as I learned growing up in Scottsdale. But I don't want you to think that it's always 115 degrees. Usually, the temperature hovers in the much more comfortable 100°-105° range.
At a wet-bulb temperature of 35 degrees Celsius or 167 degrees Fahrenheit “feels like” (100 degrees Fahrenheit with 85% humidity for example), the human body cannot cool itself enough to survive more than a few hours. Such conditions are quite rare currently. However, lower temperatures are often deadly.
Because of the hot weather, there is almost constantly high pressure over Arizona. Under high pressure, the air sinks and clouds cannot form. Because of the lack of rain in Arizona, the humidity is very low. Dry air heats up fast because there is no humidity in the air to absorb the heat.
A hot tire can literally melt between the base layer of rubber and the tread, causing the layers of the tire to come apart. The heat of the Arizona summer can dry out your tires, removing the natural oils and causing them to crack, even if your car is sitting in your driveway or outdoor parking area.
Summers are exceptionally hot and dry in Arizona, with temperatures usually in the 90°F (32.2°C) to 120°F (48.9°C) zone. The southern desert occasionally registers temperatures above 125°F (51.7°C), while the average high temperatures reach a peak of 97°F (36.1°C) in July.
7 tips to survive summer in Phoenix
- Know the signs of heat illness.
- Drink more water than you think.
- Phoenix doesn't get cool.
- Car interiors can easily reach 150+ degrees.
- Cars don't like heat.
- Avoid the bees.
- Watch out for flash floods.
- Wrap-up.
Phoenix, AZ 10 Day Weather
| Description | High / Low | Precip |
|---|
| Today MAY 8 | Partly Cloudy | 103°75° |
| Sat MAY 9 | Partly Cloudy | 101°75° |
| Sun MAY 10 | Partly Cloudy | 97°73° |
| Mon MAY 11 | Sunny | 99°68° |
Four years after Phoenix hit 122, Lake Havasu City reached 128 degrees on June 29, 1994, the highest temperature ever recorded in Arizona. It's also one of the hottest temps ever when comparing each states' record high.
The hot season lasts for 3.7 months, from May 28 to September 19, with an average daily high temperature above 98°F. The hottest day of the year is July 4, with an average high of 107°F and low of 84°F.
According to 24/7 Wall St., Arizona is the 11th hottest states with an average 77.3 degree temperature! Arizona ranks below Hawaii, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Florida and Louisiana. Texas is the hottest state in the summer with an average temp of 81.3, according to ranking.
Arizona is in general the cheaper place to live. The temperatures are a little hotter than Florida in southern part of the state, but the humidity is so much lower that it is more comfortable.
Phoenix is on average much hotter than Las Vegas. Las Vegas is on the eastern fringe of the drier Mohave Desert. There are only occasional rains there when Arizona monsoons cross over into Nevada. Phoenix is both hotter and more humid.
Low Latitude: Hotter Summers
Places near the equator are hotter because of the angle at which sunlight hits the earth, travelling through less atmosphere. Phoenix lies near the equator, and so gets showered by the sun's burning rays.Monsoons. Arizona's monsoon season begins in June and continues through September. With it comes higher humidity, which can lead to thunderstorms, heavy rain, lightning, hail, high winds, flash flooding, dust storms and extreme heat.
A large portion of Arizona is classed as semiarid and long periods often occur with little or lno precipitation. The air is generally dry and clear, with low relative humidity and a high percentage of sunshine.
Arizona's Short-Term Challenges
The Colorado River system, which supplies 36 percent of Arizona's total water use, has experienced extensive drought conditions for the past 19 years. This has resulted in Lake Mead dropping to historically low reservoir levels.Monsoons. Arizona's monsoon season begins in June and continues through September. With it comes higher humidity, which can lead to thunderstorms, heavy rain, lightning, hail, high winds, flash flooding, dust storms and extreme heat. ADOT urges drivers to be prepared for summer storms.
Tips for Keeping Your Home Cool During the Phoenix Heat
- Shade your east and west windows.
- Delay using heat generating appliances, such as washer and dryer, your dishwasher, until the evenings.
- Use ceiling fans to keep your inside room temperatures cooler which will allow you to increase your thermostat a little higher, between 74-77 degrees.
Phoenix is both hotter and drier than most other places in the country, and people from more humid places claim that it feels hotter in higher humidity even when the temperature is lower. Let's take a look at how that works. While you may feel stickier or sweatier in high humid regions, you're actually sweating less.
Days of Hot Weather in Phoenix
Nearly every day during summer, the temperature in Phoenix tops 99°F. Even during winter months, while it seldom reaches 80, the days will usually get to at least 60 degrees.
