Two weeks ago, Phoenix, Arizona, endured the hottest temperatures we have seen so far this summer. For nearly one week, the temps were over 110 degrees, and some days we maxed out at 118 degrees depending on where you lived in the Desert Southwest. Over the past week, the temps have decreased and the humidity has returned (yes we have humidity, it’s not always a dry heat) with the Monsoons appearing again. Beginning tomorrow and for the next couple of days, we are headed back towards 110 degrees plus. The Weather Channel has even issued a special weather statement about the high temperatures for the lower deserts of California, the Southwest, and South-Central Arizona.
But even with all of these super hot temps and special weather statements issued by the Weather Channel, I would take this weather over the 100 degrees difference seven days of the week and twice on Sundays. Although I enjoyed the fall season while living in the Northern part of the US for two years in 2008-2010, there is nothing like having warm air, sunny skies, and beautiful weather for 300 plus days a year. The heat is so much better than the cold…So.Much.Better!
So for today’s blog post, we are going to move away from our typical topics and focus (with a little humor) on 10 Reasons Why 110 Degrees is Better Than 10 Degrees.
1. You don’t have to shovel the heat. Salt? We don’t need no stickin’ salt!
2. You don’t have to dig your car out of the heat or scrap heat off your windows.
Me in Steubenville, Ohio – February 5-6, 2010.
3. There is no need to wear four layers of clothes, take off two layers when in the house (because it’s still cold in the house even when the heat is on!), and then put on the other two layers again to go somewhere.
If you have children, this is brutal, because they often have to go to bathroom just as you finished wrapping them with the fourth layer. Famous Winter Conversation: “I have to go to bathroom…Now, you have to go?! I just asked you if you had to go.”
“I have to go to the bathroom.”
4. The car is already warmed up. It only takes a matter of minutes for the air condition to get cold. When it’s 10 degrees outside, it seems it takes hours for the car engine to get warm enough to turn the heat on.
5. Natural. Vitamin. D. Enough said!
6. There is no need to go to the tanning salon to get some ultraviolet rays. I knew so many people at Franciscan who did this at a place on Sunset Blvd. See #5.
7. The heat does not cause seasonal depression. The cold temps, the perpetual gray clouds, and the overall environment can cause anyone to drink heavily. I knew people who were on daily Vitamin D pills for seasonal depression. Again, see #5.
8. A nice day here is clear and sunny, not partly cloudy and a 30% chance of rain like the Northern part of the United States. We have 300 plus days a year of sunshine!
9. White wine and good quality lagers taste great on a hot day. Does it get any better?
10. Water is always refreshing, whether you are drinking it or swimming in it; it’s not frozen where it cause you to slip and break your leg, arm, wrist, or some other bone that is valuable to your body.
What is the Moral of the Story?
Living in the desert, or even just the southern most states of the US, is far better than living in the North. So glad my parents chose to move us here when we were kids.
This post is dedicated to all my friends (you know who you are!) who live in the Northern states: Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, the Northern Colonies, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and any other state where it’s stinkin’ cold during the Winter.
Categories: Why Arizona is Better Than Your State
TOM PERNA 
We agree! Have been living here in the desert for 51 years…by choice! Bob & Mary Ann
1. You don’t have to shovel heat, you just find sand inside your car.
2. You don’t have to dig out your car, but your radiator, tires, hoses, and other necessary car parts deteriorate 50% faster.
3. You don’t have to wear four layers, but there is a modesty issue throughout the state all year long.
4. Yep, the car is hot enough to cook an egg in 30 seconds flat!
5. There may be plenty Natural Vitamin D, too bad people run from building to building to get away from the sun so that their intake of it is relatively small to what is available to them.
6. No need to go to the tanning salon only means that you get skin problems naturally.
7. No seasonal depression, but man do people in the heat have annual irritation.
8. 300 days of sunshine? 300 days of the sun smiting you? Ever read Psalm 121:6? (ok, honestly, I do like a lot of sun and miss it)
9. If you think you need a hot day for wine and lagers, you obviously have not been to Wisconsin.
10. Water is always refreshing, too bad there isn’t much of it in the desert.
Jason, my friend, a nice attempt, but not as good as mine. What you should have done is replied to mine on your blog, not write a massive comment that nobody is going to read. 🙂
I read his comments and loved them. There is a limit to what you can take off in good taste but you can always add another layer.
Thanks Sue for the comments. Jason is a good friend.
I agree! I’ve had it with living in AZ. 30+years has been more than enough, and I’m returning to the Midwest as soon as I can.
Adios! 🙂
Don’t forget… When it’s 110 outside, there’s no chance of sliding on ice, crashing your car and killing yourself/your family/others or a deer. I have to remind myself of this when it’s hotter than blazing saddles and I have three kids who are insane.
I remember a holiday in Malta in August when it was over 110 Degrees in the shade. I was clever though and stayed away from the shade.
God bless.
Yeah, but if the drought continues, you all may be moving up to rainy ol’ Seattle. 🙂
That’s why we are praying for rain. California is worse than AZ. Thanks for the comment.
Owen’s Valley used to be known as Owen’s Lake and had a ferry across it. Los Angeles used the lake for its water source. Drained the lake. Now we farm there. If we don’t get rain and lots of it. The drought will drain the people from beautiful, sunny California.
People are letting their lawns die because it is too expensive to water. Yet, I live here in the Pomona Valley and love it, even when it is 92 degrees F at night.
Liked your post.
I’ll take 10 degrees. No bugs, no snakes, no Mosquitos. No running from a/c house to an a/c car to an a/c store. No sunburn and chemical laden sunscreens. I could go on but you get my perspective. But alas, somewhere in between would be perfect, 60 degrees.
This summer in South Bend, Indiana, has been about as close to perfect as you can get, unless you like warm weather and wanted to go swimming (although I’ve swum in Lake Superior and I suspect Lake Michigan is a lot warmer even now than what Superior was then. I just haven’t checked it out this year).
That’s good to hear, especially after the winter you all had this past year. That’s what really motivated me to write this blog post (I usually write on theology and the Catholic faith). But this post was little fun with my friends in the North. I have friends in South Bend – the Kloska’s?
Amen, Tom! This Southwesterner, exiled in Connecticut for one more dreadful winter, totally approves this message, with the disclaimer that I love the ‘heat’ in Albuquerque more than the HEAT in Phx. God bless.
That’s OK. Following the winter up here, I’ve resolved not to complain about the summer heat. And then, God chose not to send summer heat.
You can always put on more clothes. There’s a limit to how many layers you can take off. And anyway, it allows us Michiganders to gloat when you Texans or Arizonans are sent up here for business in February.
I like Jason Bermender’s comments … and here are my 10 rewasons1hy I’m glad I moved from Arizona to Kansas …
10. Snow is beautiful.
9. Suffering makes you stronger; reminds you it’s not all about you.
8. You can always put more on; there is only so much you can take off.
7. Forces families to spend time together and bond.
6. Shoveling snow builds the virtue of hard work.
5. Having to shop ahead, start and scrape car early, etc. teaches you planning and patience.
4. Sledding!
3. Teaches you confidence in God when life isn’t easy but it’s good.
2. Drives people to help each other (shoveling, giving rides, planning shopping.)
1. Ginormous joy when Spring finally comes.
Wait, do you guys in Phoenix have your water piped in from some far off place? If so, how would you survive the zombie apocalypse? If that is the case I’ll take a few hard months of winter and natural access to that liquidy stuff that keeps me alive, thank you very much!
Zombie apocalypse, huh? Lol. Funny Sarah!
What about the fact that you are running out of water out there? The Colorado River isn’t looking too healthy these days. I really don’t see how cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas are going to sustain themselves in the future.
Brendan – This post was humor. Breath easy…
I was born and raised in the desert, I LOVE it here, always have. If everyone who HATES the desert would only leave, we would have plenty of water!!
I too grew up in the SW desert heat….with migraines, nausea, a beautiful tan, and a yearning to live in breezy coolness. Carla, you can have my share of the water 🙂 Think of snow topped with MN pure maple syrup! A little food for thought: Is the floor of hell frozen or 2000 degrees F?
Hell is hot.