Phoenix Shatters Record--19 Days of 110+F (contractor, calculated, prices)

[pathrunner]

Yes. Phoenix has a long history of build first, (try to) fix it later. Except there's no solution because there's no will.

That's why Rio Verde is in deep trouble. It's unconscionable. Beautiful homes, idyllic area, value has plummeted. Ask me if the developers care. They probably live a few miles away in Fountain Hills. No worries there.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by thrillobyte

The question would then become: which are you better off in


1. 95F in Florida which has a heat index of 105


2. 118F in Phoenix


Medical says that any extended time outdoors in weather above a wet bulb of 96 spells death because the body cannot cool off. But being out in 118 for any extended period pretty much fries the organs, doesn't it? I mean out here in the SFV a postwoman died in her USPS vehicle in 117F in Woodland Hills a few years ago.

Try 95+ with a heat index of 115 (https://www.pnj.com/story/weather/20...w/70360335007/), which has occured this summer in Florida. Also PHX has hit 118 a grand total of 4 times this entire summer, which as know is breaking all kinds of records. I'd argue that the two really don't feel all that different it would be a matter of enjoying extreme humidity levels, dew points in the mid 70s versus a drier heat here.

Also PHX has the benefit of being nearby a high country, where a relatively short drive offers a break from the heat. Hell, even within the metro the high temps can vary quite a bit, especially the low temperatures.

Not sure what you mean about "fries the organs" but I do know that bodies natural heat mitigation basically worthless in humid environments. "“Being able to sweat is a bit of a superpower — unless it’s very humid, and then the sweating mechanism doesn’t work, because the sweat doesn’t go anywhere. It just builds up on the skin,” he said." https://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...ally-rcna92346

[KurtAZ]

Well our High Country isn't doing so well either. My FIL has been saying his weather station in Payson has been registering 100°+ this week. Of course they cool off at night but that is a bit warm for up there.

[Veritas Vincit]

July 1931 had 8 days with 110+ and 27 days with 105+ in Phoenix. Back then Phoenix was a small city with near 50,000 inhabitants. Places like Mesa and Scottsdale were just small rural communities. But of course those people had to deal with that hot, arid climate without modern A/C at home. At-home A/C units only became common in the 1950s/60s.

Phoenix has exploded in population since then and it wouldn't have been possible without A/C as most of the new arrivals from the East and North probably wouldn't have stayed without it. Stretches of 110+ weather were common even back then, so everything and everyone in the area had to be prepared to deal with that. If your A/C broke and you had no way of fixing it then you would have been screwed in the last 10 days of July 1972 as well


So the question Phoenix has to ask itself isn't whether one can cope with a 110 degree heat, because if not then the city could never have existed to begin with, but whether it makes a difference of whether you have 110+ degrees for a week here or there like it was commonplace in the past - or for weeks on end as it appears to becoming more common. And does it make a significant difference if the UHI keeps temps from going down into the mid 80s at night and instead has them stay in the 90s?

[KurtAZ]

Prior to the A/C being used...it was commonplace from 1933 and on for homes in Arizona to use swamp coolers

Air Conditioning was too impractical until the 1960s due to the size and cost of a unit although some businesses were installing them as early as 1929 (Hotel Westward Ho was the first in Phoenix). Once window units and more reasonable residential units became available, they became commonplace.

Even now, some homes are built with split units, a swamp cooler to use prior to the humidity spike with summer thunderstorms, and an A/C unit to use during high humidity. Swamp Coolers use a lot less energy than an A/C unit does so it makes sense and cuts down on electricity costs.

FWIW...We are now on Day 25 with 4 more days in the forecast of 110°+.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Well our High Country isn't doing so well either. My FIL has been saying his weather station in Payson has been registering 100°+ this week. Of course they cool off at night but that is a bit warm for up there.

FWIW Payson has hit 100 on a total of 3 days so far this month.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by locolife

FWIW Payson has hit 100 on a total of 3 days so far this month.

Oh that is a great subject of debate with my FIL. He seems to believe (and will tell you ad nauseum) that his weather station set up is more accurate than the NWS's official temperature readings in Payson. Apparently one side of town is always hotter or colder by 10° and he is always right. I mean...you can drive across town in 5 minutes but the airport and the Movie Theatre are apparently in different weather zones. I am guessing there is an invisible wall that stops heat seeping up from the Valley along Longhorn/260.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Oh that is a great subject of debate with my FIL. He seems to believe (and will tell you ad nauseum) that his weather station set up is more accurate than the NWS's official temperature readings in Payson. Apparently one side of town is always hotter or colder by 10° and he is always right. I mean...you can drive across town in 5 minutes but the airport and the Movie Theatre are apparently in different weather zones. I am guessing there is an invisible wall that stops heat seeping up from the Valley along Longhorn/260.

Possibly, Sky Harbor is in one of the hottest locations you can take temperatures from in the valley. Especially the low temps, one can easily experience 10 degree or more differences in Phoenix based on where you live. Here it's obviously the UHI and elevation differences, I don't know Payson well enough to say what may cause the variation there but that's the official reading. They may get a lower reading at their official weather station than some but Phoenix gets a higher reading than most. Does it really matter that much? Doubt it. We all know they're both hotter than historical but if you hangout at airports in both locations you know what you'll have experienced.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

July 1931 had 8 days with 110+ and 27 days with 105+ in Phoenix. Back then Phoenix was a small city with near 50,000 inhabitants. Places like Mesa and Scottsdale were just small rural communities. But of course those people had to deal with that hot, arid climate without modern A/C at home. At-home A/C units only became common in the 1950s/60s.

Phoenix has exploded in population since then and it wouldn't have been possible without A/C as most of the new arrivals from the East and North probably wouldn't have stayed without it. Stretches of 110+ weather were common even back then, so everything and everyone in the area had to be prepared to deal with that. If your A/C broke and you had no way of fixing it then you would have been screwed in the last 10 days of July 1972 as well


So the question Phoenix has to ask itself isn't whether one can cope with a 110 degree heat, because if not then the city could never have existed to begin with, but whether it makes a difference of whether you have 110+ degrees for a week here or there like it was commonplace in the past - or for weeks on end as it appears to becoming more common. And does it make a significant difference if the UHI keeps temps from going down into the mid 80s at night and instead has them stay in the 90s?

The number of 110 days has been higher for the last 20-30 years and the UHI has been studied at length, here and elsewhere. What's your point in questions to ask? Whether it will keep growing? If that's the question then the answer is pretty clearly yes at this point.


People don't move here for the summer weather.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by locolife

The number of 110 days has been higher for the last 20-30 years and the UHI has been studied at length, here and elsewhere. What's your point in questions to ask? Whether it will keep growing? If that's the question then the answer is pretty clearly yes at this point.


People don't move here for the summer weather.

It's the same questions you have to ask with every change both as an individual and as an organization - how does this change affect me and do I need to make an adjustment?