I don't know how you guys.....

[dragon813gt]

Live in the desert. I'm in Chandler Arizona at the moment. Arrived around 11am and I was ready to go home by noon. Topped out at 110 today. At 7pm it's still 106. I don't know how anyone can live here. I'm sure the winters are great. But this is ridiculous. Doesn't help that weather at home has turned for the better. Dropping down into the mid 50s at night w/ highs between 75-85.

I'm sure I won't be complaining later in the year. I will be here through the middle of December. Will be leaving freezing temps and snow. That sounds great. But I feel like I'm in an oven when I walk outside. You have to doing something really wrong to die of dehydration at home. Humidity has a way of keeping you alive.

I don't think I've been homesick this quick. Guess I like being surrounded by trees w/ plentiful water everywhere. Coming from Ireland where I've been wearing jeans all summer this is quite a shock [emoji23]

[OS OK]

Wear cotton and...not a lot of it!

[dragon813gt]

Wear cotton and...not a lot of it!

That's fine for when I'm not working. But I have to wear FR clothes at work. Of course the pants are dark blue and our shirts are a lighter shade of blue. Wish I could wear synthetics that wick moisture away. I ordered 100% cotton khaki colored pants. This is the last week I will be wearing dark blue pants here.

[Madoktor1]

FR clothing sucks in the summer. I wear it daily here in TN. I was in Scottsdale and Phoenix for a year. The winters are great but the rest of the year sucks.


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[Sweetpea]

Well, I'm living in the high desert in southern Utah, and we stay a little cooler than phoenix, about 10 degrees.

I went "home" to Michigan a few years back, and decided that I never want to live away from the mountains ever again!

[tunnug]

But it's a dry heat, LOL, been here since '68, we have two seasons, hot and damn hot, don't go anywhere without carrying water.

[starmac]

LOL, It isn't that you feel like you are in an oven, YOU ARE in an oven. lol

[mold maker]

I really feel for you guys that have to tolerate extremes in temps and humidity. While we do have a couple weeks of hot humid weather here, it isn't extreme. I'm an hour from the highest peak East of the Mississippi and 3 hr from the beach. Seldom see 100* and almost never down to the teens
If I'm ever forced to leave here, I'll be very careful to find the second best place in the USA.

[bedbugbilly]

tunnug - you beat me to it! I was also going to reply .. . "But it's a dry heat." LOL

Our place is south of Tucson but we're not there in the summer as we are back in Michigan. We've been there in the summer though and we just learned to walk the dogs early . . . VERY EARLY . . in the morning and if we had places to go, just sort of move from one air conditioned building to the next. :-)

I remember when we first bought out there. They were building houses around us and the fellows would show up before daylight an try to beat the heat - knock off shortly after lunch. A couple of the neighbors were complaining about the hammering, sawing, etc. so early in the morning . . . you know . . . it was disturbing their "beauty sleep". My reply was that they ought to try working out in the hot sun and heat and see how they liked it. Neither of them had ever done any manual labor in their lives and just didn't have a clue.

Having grown up and lived in Michigan on a farm most of my life, when we first went out to AZ I didn't know how I would like it. This winter will be our 10th out there and I can't wait to get back. You learn to love it, it's a beautiful state andante you take the time to really watch and look at your surroundings, the desert is a beautiful place . . . it can be harsh for sure but it really is filled with a lot of interesting things from animals to vegetation. You can travel from the south of AZ to the north aZ and with the altitude changes, see such a variety of vegetation, trees, etc. and some very beautiful sights.

Yep, it's hot but I'll tell you, AZ grows on you.

[dragon813gt]

I finally realized why AZ doesn't use daylight savings time. It felt weird w/ it getting dark so early for this time of year. But w/ the heat it makes complete sense. No need for more daylight. Exact opposite of home where a lot of people want it pushed forward all the time.

Unfortunately I won't have time to do much sight seeing. Have two young children, 3yo and 4mo, at home. So I will catch a 5:30pm flight on Monday to get out here. And then take a red eye home on Thursday. Puts me at home right around noon on Friday. Kind of rough all around but it's less time away from the kids. After doing two weeks at a time in Ireland I won't stay over weekends anymore. To hard on the family. If it wasn't for the time change I could have flown home every weekend from Ireland. Flight cost is the same as to the west coast. And it's faster for me to get to Dublin then a lot of places out here [emoji23]

[Larry Gibson]

Get climatized to to the desert dry heat. Jumping into it from a "cooler" climate can make it seem worse than it is. Living here we get used to it gradually as it changes from hot to damn hot. We also adjust our life style to the temperature....up beffore daylight, get what you want done before noon or sooner, hit the pool, siesta, hit the pool, get some loading done in the ma cave, did I mention "hit the pool"..........enjoy the evening after the sun goes down. We dress light, mostly just shorts and a light fitting shirt. We keep the house at 80 - 82 in the summer and it actually gets cool in the evening at that temp. Hottest time is last couple weeks of June and first coule of July. Had 125 + with 5 - 7 % humidity for about a week this year at my house.............LOLs beside, the dry heat does make a difference as 125 with a higher humidity would be really miserable.

[popper]

Siesta time. If you can find a shade tree.

[Lloyd Smale]

id rather be up to my neck in snow and -20 then a 110!! You can put more clothes on to keep warm but at 110 you cant hardly breath!

[dagger dog]

Take your shade with you, a nice straw sombrero !

[dragon813gt]

id rather be up to my neck in snow and -20 then a 110!! You can put more clothes on to keep warm but at 110 you cant hardly breath!

You can breathe just fine. And your eyes don't freeze shut like they do at -20. But I get your point. It's a lot easier to layer up to keep warm. Dress properly and you can pretty much do anything regardless of the cold. Just may be slow going. You can't do anything but find a cool spot when it's 110 out.

I can't dress light because I'm on an industrial site. Long pants, FR is a requirement from my employer. Hard hat, hiviz vest over my tshirt. It all makes for a miserable day. It's still oppressive at night as far as I'm concerned. Sure, the sun is down. But when it's 100 at 9pm it's still hot out.

I'm sure if I lived here I would adapt. And not shoveling snow has an awful lot of appeal the older I get. Especially w/ a wife and two young kids at home while I'm away for work. A southern swamp seems like a better place if I was to move. Humidity doesn't bother me since I've grown up w/ it.

[OS OK]

Think of the Cops...dark clothing with a vest on top!

[ShooterAZ]

One thing that's amazing about living in Arizona is that you can drive 100 +/- miles north of Phoenix and the temperature cools off 30 degrees or more. The forecast high for Flagstaff today is 81 degrees, while Phoenix is forecast at 108. I'll take 81 all day long...I don't care for the heat either.

[308Jeff]

I've always said we have two seasons: Summer and January. :)


Been living here most of my life. It doesn't bother me until it starts getting above 105, and then I definitely feel it. 100 degrees or less, literally "no sweat". LOL. To me it's not much different than living somewhere with brutally cold winters. You just stay indoors as much as possible. I've lived in Iowa and Wisconsin, and I'll take the AZ summer over those winters any day.

[EMC45]

I was at Grand Canyon in Feb of 16. It was nice. It was between 20-80 depending on day and location. Parts of the Bright Angel had snow on it, while on the downslope it was still kind of hot. Weird for sure. It was really nice though. Phoenix was a great deal hotter than the Canyon area.

[Echo]

I've lived in Tucson for 43 years - and haven't mowed a lawn yet! Dry heat, right, and 100 in the shade isn't too bad - it's when one wanders out into the sunshine that it really hits one. I try to do my casting and smelting in the AM during summer - winter, any time. Do my casting on the patio, under cover, w/ceiling fan if I think I need it...

[jmort]

One good thing about the dry heat is the ability to use swamp coolers. When I was younger we would go to "The River" aka the Parker Strip, and have some fun. 120° feels sureal to me. The fact that it does not cool off at night is below average. Winter at the river/lakes is beautiful. Cool nights and warm days perfect.

[David2011]

A southern swamp seems like a better place if I was to move. Humidity doesn't bother me since I've grown up w/ it.

Humidity is one thing. I lived in Houston for about 33 years and it's very humid. I lived in South Louisiana for 8 years from 2000-2008. The humidity there is even more oppressive than I thought possible. Then there are the mosquitoes. They emerge at about the same time after sunset every evening en masse. I was casting outside at the time and just had to stop and go inside for a while until they went away every casting session. They were so thick that even with repellent they would get in my face and get inhaled. In 30-40 minutes they would go away and I could resume casting. I'm a wannabe amateur astronomer as well. In order to use my telescopes I had to wear a mosquito netting jacket and gloves and rubber boots. The ground was almost always moist. Moving in circles around the telescope I would develop a muddy path. OTOH the coffee and food were great and one of the finest outdoor shooting facilities you will find is in Thibodaux, LA.

[big bore 99]

Anyone who likes that kind of heat, more power to them. I'm in the mountains of NC and like it just fine.

[6bg6ga]

After living all my life so far in Iowa where it can hit 100 degrees with almost 100% humidity I can hardly wait till I retire and the wife and I can pull up roots and move to Queen Creek, AZ. Having done some work in Texas years ago when it was 111-117 with not as low a humidity as AZ has I can attest to the fact that the dry heat for me is easier to handle. I'll take 100+ degrees with 12% humidity anyday.

[marlin39a]

It's not the heat of the Phoenix area that bothers me, it's the poor air quality. I'm a 125 miles north, at 4500 ft. It gets hot, but cools down into the 70's on summer nights. The air is great. I really try to stay away from Phoenix.

[FISH4BUGS]

id rather be up to my neck in snow and -20 then a 110!! You can put more clothes on to keep warm but at 110 you cant hardly breath!

That nails it. I was raised in the military and have lived all over the world. This is the best place in the country bar none.
Here in NH we MIGHT hit 95 for a few days each summer, with averages in the 80's. Winters can be harsh, but heck....just put on more clothes. Nothing like snowshoeing in a snowstorm when it is cold. Nature at its finest.
0 degrees? Run the wood stove hotter.
Snow? Yes....I'll use the snow blower and shovel over suffering in 115+ degrees any day.
But we still have 5 very distinct seasons.....summer, fall,winter, mud :) and spring.
Do yard work and gardening and enjoy the outdoors in the spring summer and fall, and cast and load all winter in the heated man cave.
Yessir, I'll take this climate any day.

[Geezer in NH]

Nothing like snowshoeing in a snowstorm when it is cold. Nature at its finest.

we still have 5 very distinct seasons.....summer, fall,winter, mud :) and spring.
I'll take this climate any day.

You forgot blackfly and tourist seasons!! :bigsmyl2:

I agree even with those 2, Love our State of NH

[dragon813gt]

It's not the heat of the Phoenix area that bothers me, it's the poor air quality.
Yeah, the air quality alert was definitely new to me. Don't have this issue at home. It's not like there is anything I can do about it. I'm stuck working outside in it.

[6bg6ga]

I think Queen Creek is about 60 mi south of Phoenix so the air should be better.

[FISH4BUGS]

You forgot blackfly and tourist seasons!! :bigsmyl2:

I agree even with those 2, Love our State of NH
Gee..you are right.....I forgot black fly season. Tourist season, too. So that give us SEVEN seasons!
New Hampshire IS the greatest place to live. Bar none.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

There is no climate in the USA and maybe the world that compares to San Diego, Ca. I spent three years there from '52 to '55. There was no humidity and no bugs. It is just as nice today with one big change, there are a lot more people. I have never been to NH are anywhere else in the northeast but I have a friend who moved there a few years ago. He e-mailed me pictures of ice from the roof to the ground. We drove thru South Dakota in '78 and when we drove out of Custer heading east the temperature started to climb. It got to 107 when we drove thru the Badlands. Mitchel wasn't much better. If the place gets much below 30%. I don't want to live there. I don't like extreme heat either. I have spent time in Phoenix & Tucson and they are both hot but Tucson doesn't have smog like Phoenix. We traveled around Arizona in '95 with the idea of moving there but no place was to are liking. We spent three days in Prescott and it was 105%.

[FISH4BUGS]

There is no climate in the USA and maybe the world that compares to San Diego, Ca.
It is now Mexafornia. If you didn't know you were really in San Diego, you would think you were in Mexico.

[dragon813gt]

There is no climate in the USA and maybe the world that compares to San Diego, Ca.

It really depends on what you like. I personally couldn't live where there were no seasonal changes. I like all four seasons. I want to see the leaves change color in the fall. When summer finally breaks and you get those warm days and cool nights there is nothing better. Same goes for the spring when you get those first warm day. Anyone that lives in a more populated area knows what the first hot day means. It means the women that have been bundling up all winter take it off and expose as much skin as possible. It's a coming out party so to speak.

I think having all four seasons makes you appreciate them more. Winters can be rough but it also brings people together. Everyone is going to have their own opinions and no single one is correct. I will end this by saying I completely understand why the Pacific Northwest has high rates of suicide. All the rain and grey days are very depressing. It was a very happy day when we wrapped up the job just outside of Portland. Being there eleven months was brutal.

[dbosman]

My tale is walking around Las Vegas at 120 degrees, from lunch time until dinner. Didn't sweat and didn't feel dehydrated. Clothes fit better, nice and comfortable.
Hopped in the shower with the water running but it wasn't going down the drain. My body swelled back to normal, then the excess water started flowing down and out.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup and the best thing about living up north where were up to our buts in snow and cold is it keeps the undesireables and people with less fortitude away!! I could make it into a joke like the southerners would about keeping the northerners away but truth be told today we have just as many southerners coming up here in the summer to escape the heat as they do northerners coming down there in the winter to escape the cold. Bottom line is it took a bit more of a tough individual back in the 1800s to settle up north. Farmers growing seasons were half what they are down south and to get a slave to do your work you had to have sex with your wife. If you ever cut firewood with a buck saw and axe and used a horse to skid logs out of 5 feet of snow youd know what kind of man came up here to log. Years of culling the weak people out made the gene pool a bit tougher in my opinion. Probably part of the reason the south has a bad opinion of northerners. We send down the light weights that fit right in in those warm weather states. Now this ought to raise some hackles!! Keep in mind that I'm just funning here. OR AM I! I know I'm asking for some comeback so ill sit back and let you have at it :Fire:
That nails it. I was raised in the military and have lived all over the world. This is the best place in the country bar none.
Here in NH we MIGHT hit 95 for a few days each summer, with averages in the 80's. Winters can be harsh, but heck....just put on more clothes. Nothing like snowshoeing in a snowstorm when it is cold. Nature at its finest.
0 degrees? Run the wood stove hotter.
Snow? Yes....I'll use the snow blower and shovel over suffering in 115+ degrees any day.
But we still have 5 very distinct seasons.....summer, fall,winter, mud :) and spring.
Do yard work and gardening and enjoy the outdoors in the spring summer and fall, and cast and load all winter in the heated man cave.
Yessir, I'll take this climate any day.

[Randy Bohannon]

I spent 32 yrs. in CA in the fire dept. Nothing worse than putting on full turnouts @ 110 deg. <20% humidity then go play on the traffic congested freeways.When I retired I was in WY 2 mos. after retirement have never looked back, best Gov. is small Gov.
I have been here 10 yrs and have never seen 100 deg.Snow and cold makes for the best summers anywhere. I tried SC for 8 mos. the state is used up, locked up and mosquito's in Nov. very few places to hunt without buying your way into it.I couldn't get back to WY fast enough.I have learned I need to live where where you have to pay attention to everything that might kill you.

[Lloyd Smale]

got to say. Ive lived up north and down south and have been all over the country and if I HAD TO MOVE Wyoming would be at the top of my choices. Lots of open space, decent weather and great hunting. What more could you ask for other then a few more trees.
I spent 32 yrs. in CA in the fire dept. Nothing worse than putting on full turnouts @ 110 deg. <20% humidity then go play on the traffic congested freeways.When I retired I was in WY 2 mos. after retirement have never looked back, best Gov. is small Gov.
I have been here 10 yrs and have never seen 100 deg.Snow and cold makes for the best summers anywhere. I tried SC for 8 mos. the state is used up, locked up and mosquito's in Nov. very few places to hunt without buying your way into it.I couldn't get back to WY fast enough.I have learned I need to live where where you have to pay attention to everything that might kill you.