Is Phoenix too hot in the summer?
 

I am contemplating a summer family vacation (2 adults and children 9 &1 3) to Phoenix/Scottsadale 4-5 days and 4-5 days in Sedona. We would stay at a resort with pools in Phoenix, splitting time at the hotel and seeing the local sights. In Sedona will will be more athletic, including hiking and bike rideing. We live in south Florida and experience (but do not enjoy the high humidity and 90 plus summer weather. Some say it is far too hot and other say that the dry heat is not so bad. What do you think? Will we enjoy Phoenix despite the heat or should we avoid it. I also realize that Sedona will be more comfortable because of its higher elevation.

When in the summer will you be going? My husband and I visited his brother there over 4th of July weekend and it was HOT. Like 115 F hot. We basically didn't do anything outside all day long and would venture out in the evening. For me, (and I'm used to the 90-100 weather in the summer), it was almost unbearable. Everyone is different, though. If you are going to spend a lot of time in the pool or indoor attractions, it might not be too bad. I would choose a different summer spot, though, and go to Phoenix in the fall or winter.

If we go it would be at the end of July, which is the only time I can get away.

I spent a few days in July at a convention in Mesa (Phoenix) and man, it was HOT. So hot that you didn't want to be outside unless you were in a pool. So hot that many restaurants and malls had "misters" spraying water on their outdoor areas.

We then went to Sedona, where we also did some hiking. Sedona cools off in the evening, but the sun is brutal during the day if you are out hiking in the red rock country.

I wouldn't choose this area for a July vacation myself, but if it's the only time you can go, it's really beautiful and worth seeing.

It is hot end of July. Plus it could be in the middle of Monsoon season which would push the humidity up. Sedona isn't going to be as hot, due to the elevation. Go to the Grand Canyon and end your trip with a couple of days in Scottsdale.

I have never complained about heat since going to Phoenix first week in August (mom was ill). I came back to a month of over 100 in No. California and never compalined once because it was not as hot as AZ.

As previous posters have noted, it can get very hot in Phoenix in the summer. And forget about it being bearable because of the low humidity. When it gets to be 100 or higher, it's hot no matter what the humidity!

As a survivor of a dozen PHX summers, perhaps I am biased but also well qualified to advise you on coming here in July. Summertime is my favorite time of year in PHX. Yes, it is hot. But as one of the hardy few who brave the temps you can take advantage of some of the best bargains in luxury travel to be found anywhere. My wife and I regularly pay $100-150 or so for resorts that fetch $350 and up per night in the high season. And if you are relaxing by the pool (My advice is rent a cabana for the day so you can get out of the sun when you want to) who cares? Everything in PHX is air conditioned so I really don't see it as much of a hardship. I will admit if you want to hike or bike ride here this will be a challenge. The window of daylight hours to hike, bike, golf etc. is from about 5am-9am. After that I'd grab a cool one and hit the pool or spa. Sedona will be 10-15 degrees cooler than in Phoenix, and it is really a much prettier locale for outdoor adventures anyway. A tip: I'd wait until late May or early June to make hotel reservations as this is when the hotels get desparate and start slashing their rates. Great packages are almost always available.

It is hot and humid at the end of July but the humidity is much lower than southern Florida. What exactly do you want to do outdoors? It is not too bad to go to the zoo or play golf. Most other activities are indoors in the summer. If you want to climb Piestawa Peak or Camelback Mtn, then start before 7 AM

Swimming in the pools is fine.

I was cycling thru a small village in England one year (wearing my Arizona Bicyle Club jersey) and stopped in a bakery. The girl behind the counter asked if I was from Arizona and remarked that she spent two weeks the previous August in Phoenix and loved the heat!!

I can't stand Phoenix in the summer. I come from a part of the country that gets hot and humid, and I don't find the 'dry heat' to make things any more bearable in Phoenix when it's 110. We often visit Arizona in the summer, but we stay in Flagstaff.

I'm a Phoenician who moved out here from the midwest. Yes, it's hot, but summer is my favorite time here. Other than monsoon time, we don't have too much humidity. Several years ago in Chicago over 300 people died when the heat wave was 106 for a few days. Then when you factor in humidity to that 106 it is truly unbearable. That doesn't happen here. You make adjustments for the weather. So you don't do garden work in the heat of the day.

You just have to ask yourself how do you deal with heat. Our temperature of 115 will feel like 90-95 in the midwest. Personally in the time I've been here I function best in the 107-110 degree range. The few days it gets up to 120 you just keep indoors. And, despite what you have heard, we don't have many 120 degree plus days here. I know I've heard all sorts of people from around the country say they've been here when it was 125, 129 etc. Our recorded temperatures per the local weather forecasters have never reached that temperature in Phoenix.

So you just have to ask yourself how you deal with heat.

By the way, if you do come you are going to find incredible hotel bargins!!

I used to live in PHX -- bonsaz is right on.
No arguing the point that it is very hot most days during summer. Average will be 105 in late July and number of days over 110 increases as building (and more heat-retaining concrete) increases in the metro area.
You will not want to do things outside from around 11-4.
Personally I love the summer evenings in PHX because it's still hot (which I enjoy), as in 95 and up, but dry enough that perspiration is not a big deal even when you're outside and active.
Plus the great resorts are cheap during summer because most normal people avoid PHX like the plague in summer.

So it's not really true that all 100 degree temps are miserable. If it's nighttime and there's a breeze, 100 actually feels like 85 to me, which I find delightful in the absence of sunlight.

BTW, University of AZ records indicate that the highest temps ever recorded in PHX were 122 in June, 121 in July and 116 in August.

We drove through Phoenix one summer as part of a road trip in Arizona. I'd have to say it was unpleasant. Stepping out of the air conditioned car was like stepping into an oven. We spent part of a day there and were happy to move on. Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Flagstaff, however, were quite pleasant at that time.

What's the point of taking advantage of a hotel bargain in Phoenix if it's too hot to spend time outdoors? Having been there in 110-120 degree weather, our first decision was to leave fast and go north!
Those praising the virtues of 100+ degree weather in Phoenix really can't be serious!

We went to Scottsdale a couple of years ago the first week of September. It was about 108 every day. Yeah, the humidity is low but it's HOT. We still did our activities==went to the zoo (most of the animals were sleeping in the shade), went horseback riding at sunset, I played golf, we took a hot air balloon ride, and went to Rawhide (an old west type town attraction). We also went up to Sedona for the day and did a helicopter ride. It was hot but we still had fun. You can take a break during the day and sit in the pool for a while. At night, it is very pleasant. Not the ideal time of year to go, but if it's the only time you have, may as well give it a try.

I grew up in Phoenix, and it is indeed hot in July -- humidity, or no humidity. It wouldn't be my first choice of vacation spot that time of year. But I know there are great deals to be had in the summer. Do your outdoor activities in the morning and evening, and spend the mid-day hours by the pool or in air-conditioned malls or museums, and you should be fine.

It will be warm in Sedona, too, but not as bad as Phoenix. From Sedona, you can go north as far as the Grand Canyon. There are also some indian ruins not too far away (Tuzigoot and Montezuma's Castle), and Jerome (once a ghost town but coming back now, I think). If it were my vacation, I'd probably base myself even further up in the mountains (Flagstaff is 7,000 feet), where you are in striking distance of the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Canyon de Chelly, etc.

"Those praising the virtues of 100+ degree weather in Phoenix really can't be serious!"

Howard, think about it for a second. The people commenting that 100+ is not all that big a deal are people that chose to live or still live in PHX. There's a pretty strong selection bias among people who choose to live in the desert....they're very likely to be 'heat tolerant' people to behgin with.

When people used to ask me, "How can you stand living in PHX during the summer", I used to reply, "Well, look at it this way: I also lived in Minnesota when younger, and during the 5 month winters most people spent more than 23 hours per day indoors. In PHX most people spend the mid-day hours indoors during the summer, but they still enjoy the AM's and PM's outdoors all summer. In addition, they get to enjoy the outdoors any time during the day or night all the rest of the year. So every day can be enjoyed in PHX".

People who live in New England and NYC are forced to spend a lot of hours indoors every year whether they like it or not. The limitations are considerably less in PHX.

Some people just don't mind the heat.
Some people don't mind living in Detroit.
Some people are happy living a lifetime on tiny islands.
Some people are happy with Taco Bell and Olive Garden as their dinner out on the town.

In my opinion, 2 keys in your original post - one that you do not enjoy 90 plus summer weather (with or without humidity) and also that you enjoy athletic activities.

First, last August when we were there, it was incredibly hot. Imagine a hot oven blast when you leave a building or car. The rental car facility even had signs posted and included in rental papers indicating that at heat over 100 degrees (which it was), the air conditioner in the car really might not keep up with the heat - so don't return the car complaining about the air conditioning (ours worked fine, though). I felt that I might have been able to acclimate somewhat to the heat if I lived there, but for a shorter visit, especially one with athletic aspirations, I might reconsider. The kids might complain about the heat so much as to make you all miserable.

I have hiked in Sedona at end of June and it is HOT. Can only hike very early in a.m. or late late afternoon, and can hardly stay hydrated. August must be worse.

As someone who lives in the valley all year round, I can tolerate the summers because I know that I only have to deal with it a couple of the months of the year. Also, we are out early in the morning and in the evening after the sun has gone down. Would I pick it as a vacation spot in July? No! It is too hot to hike expect in the very early morning and I would not recommend going to the zoo or any other outdoor activity. Sedona will be cooler but again it will still be too hot to hike and enjoy. If I was considering coming to Phoenix at all in the summer it would be early to mid-June. Even though it can still be hot, there is less humidity and the mornings are cooler.

I also live in South Florida (Southwest, actually) and have been to Phx in the summer. The worst part for my family was the lack of humidity. Our lips, noses and skin dried up so quickly, it was awful. Bring plenty of lotion and that saline nasal spray to keep hydrated.

Having lived here for 30 years I have a few thoughts. If your family stays at a resort and if you enjoy the resort atmosphere you should have a good time. Your hotel room will be ice cold (with no guilt about paying the electic bill), you'll be steps from the pool, drinks, music, shade etc that should make being outdoors enjoyable. I would splurge and try to stay at a nice resort if you can (eg. Hyatt Scottsdale etc).
Coming from So. Fla. I doubt if you will have any trouble with the heat. There are 3 million of us who do it everyday....

I have lived in both Phoenix and SE Florida so I can compare the two. The fact is that the summer in Phownix is absolutely brutal. The dry heat argument goes out the window once it reaches 105 or so and you can pretty well count on that. It is like being in a blast furnace. Overall I prefer the climate in Phoenix to SE Florida because of the other 9 months of the year. I live in a Southern California valley ( Temecula Valley ) which has great weather both summer and winter.

I was there in September -- 100 plus degrees. I agree that the dry heat argument goes out the window.

Do you know how strange for a Phoenician to hear an easterner say that after a cold spell, 25 degrees feels like a heat spell. Having lived in Buffalo for 20 years I know how "warm" 25 degrees can feel. So true, 100 plus degrees is not a problem, in my mind, if you are on vacation. On the other hand, if you were working on tar roofs all day it would be a problem. So, go to a pool, get wet, feel "cold" after you get out and have a good time!

anybody who thinks over a hundred isn't hot -- dry or not, has never been in a sauna. dry heat is worse than humid heat to me.

My family was in Phoenix in the middle of the summer for a Friday and Saturday before flying back to NY on Sunday morning. We had spent about 2 weeks travelling-- The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Tuscon, Flagstaff. It was hot but a great vacation. Phoenix, on the otherhand, was unbearable. We didn't leave the hotel room from the time we got there Friday afternoon until about 10 on Saturday night. That was the first time that the outdoor pool was swimmable. Why not Sedona and the Grand Canyon?

Not if you're from Vegas or Tucson

As a Detroiter, traveleis, I take offense. Have you even ever been here?

I love AZ in the summer! We get a suite every summer with free kids club for under 100 bucks a night at Tapatio Hilton that comes with a ton of freebies like food drink and movies.
I like South Florida during the summer too, especially the beach where the breeze is blowing. I do NOT like Orlando in the summer too hot and muggy.
I think you can handle it and I think it would be fun. Maybe do a day trip down to Rocky Point for the breeze, the beach and a bit of Mexico.

I live in Phoenix. It is definately hot in the summer, particularly July - August. Even those of us who live here limit our time outdoors. I'd suggest, if you decide to come, you book a resort that has an indoor pool in Phoenix. Sedona and Northern AZ is much nicer in July...hot, although tolerable. The more time you can spend in the Northern part of Arizona, the better.

To martytravels: you mis-read my comment. I also said, as an equivalent example, that some people don't mind living on islands (like Kauai and Bermuda) all their lives. I doubt any residents of Bermuda or Kauai would take offense (particularly since that wasn't the intent).
I was giving examples of things many people would not consider desirable, but some people find perfectly pleasant. Many people (the above comments are a perfect example) consider PHX an undesirable place to live due to the heat. Obviously at least 2-3 million people feel otherwise.
And there are still more than a million people in Detroit last I checked.
FWIW, I've been to Detroit at least a half dozen times (not counting airport layovers).

To earl30: while each person is entitled to his/her own perceptions, the heat index scale is based upon the fact that humid air produces greater physical distress than dry air. When it's dry, your body cools itself more efficiently thru perspiration.
Hot, humid air of a given temperature is more physically dangerous than dry air of the same temp.

Is it hot in Phoenix in the summer you ask? The heat is unbearable. The first week or so in July marks the coming of the monsoon season and lasts till sometime in September, not a good time to visit the desert that time of year. Even up in Sedona some major resorts do not have air conditioning, not a good thing especially given the very hot summers in the past few years. Even Zonies, as they are called, ditch the desert for the cooler climes, head to the beach cities such as San Diego for one. No, I wouldn't recommend Phoenix/Scottsdale in the summer months at all. Sorry.
Francie

My husband & I were in Phoenix last July 4 for a week. Temps reached about 115 every day. We are considering Phoenix as a retirement place & thought it would be a good idea to go at the absolute hottest time of year. A couple of times, we looked at each other & said, "can we do this?". But for 3 very very hot months, we will have 9 great ones.

For a visit, I wouldn't choose the summer, unless you need to economize. Hotels are very reasonable during that period.

Thank you for your candid responses. If we make the trip I am leaning to 3 days only in the Phoenix area and 5-6 days in the Sedona area. I can say with certainty that there will be ho hiking, tennis, biking while in Phx. We can save them for Sedona.