Climate of Phoenix
Abstract
The purpose of this publication is to provide comprehensive data on the climate of Phoenix. It is hoped that these data will help residents, visitors, prospective residents, agriculturalists, engineers, community planners, Chambers of Commerce, the movie industry, etc., make more skillful decisions affecting their lives, their plans for the future, and hence the whole economy of the area. Data in this revision are for the period January 1, 1896 through December 31, 1995. This marks 100 years of continuous weather records for Phoenix.
The assistance given by Robert S. Ingram, former Meteorologist in Charge, National Weather Service Office, Phoenix, Arizona, Paul C. Kangieser, former NOAA Climatologist for Arizona, and other staff members is gratefully acknowledged. The writer is gratefully indebted to Harold C. Bulk, former Assistant State Climatologist, Office of Climatology, Arizona State University, for his article, “An Overview of Phoenix Climate”. Sandra Brazel and Robert Balling’s research paper, “The Myth of Increasing Moisture Levels in Phoenix”, is also included in this Technical Memorandum. Author: Robert Durrenburger.
NOAA NWS Technical Memorandum Climate of Phoenix 1996
I. General geographical and climatological summary
Phoenix is located in about the center of the Salt River Valley, a broad, oval-shaped, nearly flat plain. The Salt River runs from east to west through the valley, but, owing to impounding dams upstream, it is usually dry. The climate is of a desert type with low annual rainfall and low relative humidity. Daytime temperatures are high throughout the summer months. The winters are mild. Nighttime temperatures frequently drop below freezing during the three coldest months, but the afternoons are usually sunny and warm.
At an elevation of about 1,100 feet, the station is in a level or gently sloping valley running east and west. The Salt River Mountains, or South Mountains as they are commonly called, are located 6 miles to the south and rise to 2,600 feet MSL. The Phoenix Mountains lie 8 miles to the north with Squaw Peak rising to 2,600 feet MSL. The famous landmark of Camelback Mountain lies 6 miles to the north-northeast and rises to 2,700 feet MSL. Eighteen miles to the southwest lie the Sierra Estrella Mountains with a maximum elevation of 4,500 feet MSL, and 30 miles to the west-northwest are found the White Tank Mountains with a maximum elevation of 4,100 feet MSL. The Superstition Mountains are approximately 35 miles to the east and rise to 5,000 feet MSL.
The central floor of the Salt River Valley is irrigated by water from dams built on the Salt River system. To the north and west of the gravity-flow irrigated district, there is considerable agricultural land irrigated by pump water.
There are two separate rainfall seasons. The first occurs during the winter months from November through March when the area is subjected to occasional storms from the Pacific Ocean. While this is classified as a rainfall season, there can be periods of a month or more in this or any other season when practically no precipitation occurs. Snowfall occurs very rarely in the Salt River Valley, while light snows occasionally fall in the higher mountains surrounding the valley. The second rainfall period occurs during July and August when Arizona is subjected to widespread thunderstorm activity whose moisture supply originates in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Mexico and in the Gulf of California.
The spring and fall months are generally dry, although precipitation in substantial amounts has fallen occasionally during every month of the year.
During the winter months, the temperature is marginal for some types of crops. Areas with milder temperatures around the edges of the valley are utilized by these crops. However, the valley is subjected to occasional killing and hard freezes in which no area escapes damage.
The valley floor, in general, is rather free of strong wind. During the spring months southwest and west winds predominate and are associated with the passage of low-pressure troughs. During the thunderstorm season in July and August, there are often local, strong, gusty winds with considerable blowing dust. These winds generally come from a northeasterly to southeasterly direction. Throughout the year there are periods, often several days in length, in which winds remain under 10 miles per hour.
Sunshine in Phoenix area averages 86 percent of possible, ranging from a minimum monthly average of around 78 percent in January and December to a maximum of 94 percent in June. During the winter, skies are sometimes cloudy, but sunny skies predominate and the temperatures are mild. During the spring, skies are also predominately sunny with warm temperatures during the day and mild pleasant evenings. Beginning with June, daytime weather is hot. During July and August, there is an increase in humidity, and there is often considerable afternoon and evening cloudiness associated with cumulus clouds building up over the nearby mountains. Summer thundershowers seldom occur in the valley before evening.
The autumn season, beginning during the latter part of September, is characterized by sudden changes in temperature. The change from the heat of summer to the mild winter temperatures usually occurs during October. The normal temperature change from the beginning to the end of this month is the greatest of any of the twelve months in central Arizona. By November, the mild winter season is definitely established in the Salt River Valley region.
An overview of Phoenix climate
By Harold Bulk, Office of Climatology, Arizona State University
The climate of a location is the synthesis of several elements. The temporal variations of several of these elements is shown in the graph on the following page.
The temperature of the air is probably the element that most people are aware of. Yet air temperature is the result of many other climatic elements. The most important is the receipt of solar energy, for solar energy is the force that drives most of the other climatic elements. The daily amounts of solar energy that are received at the top of the atmosphere (the extra-terrestrial radiation, or ETR) shown in curve A. The amounts vary from nearly a thousand Langleys (1 Langley = 1 calorie per square centimeter) on the day of the Summer Solstice to about 400 Langleys on the day of the Winter Solstice. Clouds reflect a substantial portion of the solar energy. More is absorbed by water vapor in the air, and even the atmosphere itself will scatter a portion of the solar energy back to space as well as absorb a portion.
Curve C represents the amount of energy that can reach Phoenix on a clear, dry day (Rosendahl, 1976). It is apparent that only about 70% of the ETR reaches the surface under these conditions. The ten-year average daily receipt of solar energy at Phoenix is shown in curve D.
Some of the energy reaching the earth’s surface is reflected back toward space by the earth itself, some is used to evaporate water, and the remainder warms the air. The large drop in energy receipt during July is directly traceable to the increase in cloudiness (curve E) during this period. (The depletion of solar energy due to clouds is also apparent during the winter months, although less spectacularly so). The continued depression of the averaged receipts of solar energy into August is due to the increased water vapor in the atmosphere (curve F, from Reitan, 1960). The increased water vapor in the atmosphere is due to a shift in the winds from a predominantly westerly direction to a southerly direction, the so-called “Arizona Monsoon”. Although the dry bulb temperatures may be depressed during this period, the “sensible temperatures” seem higher due to the increased humidity of the air.
Also shown is the ten-year average daily precipitation at Phoenix (curve G). It is seen that the largest average daily receipts occur in July and August. Rainfall plays a significant role in that a portion of the solar energy reaching the ground is used to evaporate moisture.
Curve B is the average daily temperature at Phoenix. This curve lags the curves for ETR (A), that of clear-day receipts (C), and that for averaged receipts (D). This is due primarily to the thermal lag of the earth. The flattening of the temperature curve during August is due to the energy absorbed by the enhanced rainfall during that time.
Clearly, the daily average temperature at Phoenix is the result of primarily the solar energy reaching the earth’s surface and the precipitation regime.
References
Local Climatological Data, Monthly for Phoenix, Arizona. NOAA, EDIS, Asheville, North Carolina, 1971-1980.
National Weather Service Forecast Office, Phoenix, Arizona. Daily total Horizontal Solar Energy Receipts, 1971-1980.
Reitan, C.H., 1960: “Distribution of Precipitable Water Vapor over the Continental United States”. Bulletin American Meteorological Society, 41, 79-87.
Rosendahl, H. 1976: “Table of daily Values of Maximum Possible Solar Energy, in Solar Radiation and Sunshine Data for the Southwestern U.S.”. R. Durrenberger, Editor, Tempe, Arizona, Laboratory of Climatology.
III. History of weather observations
In the 1800s when communications in the United States were improved by the development of the railroads and telegraph, the practice of predicting weather from purely local signs and the haphazard measuring of meteorological phenomena began to decline. Scientists had noted correlations between the weather in one section of the country on a particular day and that in another section on the succeeding day. It was soon realized that a simultaneous knowledge of weather conditions all over the country could conceivably enable man to predict storms of major consequences, and that warnings from such predictions could save countless lives and protect property investments. But it was not until the late 1860s that mounting public interest in a national weather service culminated in the signing into law by President Grant on February 9, 1870, of a resolution providing for meteorological observations at all military stations within the United States.
The selection of the U.S. Army Signal Service to take such observations was dictated by the availability of communications facilities which the Signal Service had developed during the Civil War and were continuing to develop for protection against the Indians after the war. The original weather services provided by the military organization covered only the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts and the Great Lakes. Another Act of Congress, on June 10, 1872, extended these services throughout the entire United States.
Weather observations had been taken at many Army posts in Arizona prior to these formalities by Army post surgeons. Observations are available from some of these locations today:
| Station | County | Data began |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Defiance | Apache | Dec 1, 1851 |
| Camp Crittenden | Santa Cruz | Dec 1856 |
| Fort Mohave | Mohave | Jun 1859 |
| Fort Grant | Graham | Dec 1, 1860 |
| Camp Goodwin | Graham | Aug 1864 |
| Fort Whipple (Prescott) | Yavapai | Jan 1865 |
| Fort McDowell | Maricopa | Sep 1, 1866 |
| Camp Wallen | Cochise | Nov 1866 |
| Camp Date Creek | Yavapai | Jan 1867 |
| Fort Bowie | Cochise | Aug 1, 1867 |
| Camp Willow Grove | Mohave | Nov 1867 |
| Camp Reno | Gila | Feb 1, 1868 |
| Fort Verde (Camp Verde) | Yavapai | Feb 1, 1868 |
| Camp Hualapai | Yavapai | Dec 1869 |
| Fort Yuma | Yuma | Jan 1, 1870 |
Observations from these stations were primarily temperature and rainfall. It wasn’t until 1891, when the U.S. Weather Bureau was established, that development of reporting stations proceeded with cautious economy.
The Bureau directed its attention mainly toward establishing a network of field stations. Faced with the growth of public interest, civic pride and the need to provide the best coverage for its forecasting and warning services with limited funds, the Weather Bureau could only slowly grant requests to establish weather stations in a rapidly expanding Nation.
The first Weather Bureau Office to open in Arizona was in Yuma where the duties were transferred from the Army at Fort Yuma in July 1891. Tucson followed in September of that year, and it was not until four years later that the small community of Phoenix rated a full station. Records had been kept in Phoenix by the Signal Service beginning on January 28, 1876, and Signal Service personnel continued to take observations until they transferred the station on the corner of Center and Washington Streets to the Weather Bureau on August 6, 1895.
In 1901 the office was moved to the southwest corner of 1st Avenue and Adams where it remained until it moved into the Federal Building on the southwest corner of 1st Avenue and Van Buren in March 1913. Three years later in June 1916, the office moved to the Water User’s Building on the southeast corner of 2nd Avenue and Van Buren. It remained there until September 1924 when it moved to the Ellis Building at 2nd Avenue and Monroe. On October 21, 1936, it moved to the Federal Building at Central and Fillmore where it stayed until it was closed on October 22, 1953.
Meanwhile, the development of air transportation and teletype communications in the 1920s and 1930s altered and redirected somewhat the purpose of the Weather Bureau as first defined by the law in 1890. This law provided for “the distribution of meteorological information in the interest of agriculture and commerce…” as one of the Weather Bureau’s major functions. “Commerce” now included the mushrooming aviation industry — and in 1940, to meet this partial change in emphasis, the Weather Bureau was transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Commerce where it remains today. In support of this new means of transportation, another Weather Bureau office was established at Sky Harbor Airport on May 2, 1933, and observations were taken there also until July 1935 when Department of Commerce radio operators took over the program. The Weather Bureau returned again to this station in January 1939 and has managed the station ever since that time.
In July 1965 the Weather Bureau was incorporated as an integral part of the Environmental Science Services Administration. In October 1970, the name was changed to the National Weather Service, and it became an integral part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Elevations at National Weather Service Forecast Office, Phoenix, Arizona
| Latitude 33 deg 26′ North Longitude 112 deg 01′ West | Feet |
|---|---|
| Elevation of airport | 1,128 |
| Elevation of ivory tip of barometer | 1,109.31 |
| Elevation of station pressure | 1,107 |
| Elevation of group at hygrothermometer | 1,110 |
| Elevation of group at wind vane and anemometer | 1,110 |
| Elevation of climatological station | 1,107 |
| Elevation of ground at office | 1,106 |
| Elevation of hygrothermometer | Above Ground, 5 |
| Elevation of wind vane and anemometer | Above Ground, 33 |
| Elevation of sunshine switch | Above Ground, 7 |
| Elevation of pyranometer | Above Ground, 6 |
| Elevation of rain gage | Above Ground, 5 |
| Acceleration of gravity at Phoenix: 979.428 cm/sec2 Boiling point of water at Phoenix: 210oF |
|---|
| Temperature conversion F to C (C = (F-32)*5/9) |
| Precipitation conversion I to M (M = I*2.54) |
| Pressure conversion I to M (insert here) |
IV. Temperature
Normal maximum, minimum and mean by months 1961-1990
| Month | Max | Min | Mean |
| Jan | 65.9 | 41.2 | 53.6 |
| Feb | 70.7 | 44.7 | 57.7 |
| Mar | 75.5 | 48.8 | 62.2 |
| Apr | 84.5 | 55.3 | 69.9 |
| May | 93.6 | 63.9 | 78.8 |
| Jun | 103.5 | 72.9 | 88.2 |
| Jul | 105.9 | 81.0 | 93.5 |
| Aug | 103.7 | 79.2 | 91.5 |
| Sep | 98.3 | 72.8 | 85.6 |
| Oct | 88.1 | 60.8 | 74.5 |
| Nov | 74.9 | 48.9 | 61.9 |
| Dec | 66.2 | 41.8 | 54.1 |
| Annual | 85.9 | 59.3 | 72.6 |
Normal maximum, minimum and mean by months 1971-2000
| Month | Max | Min | Mean |
| Jan | 67.3 | 44.8 | 56.1 |
| Feb | 71.4 | 48.4 | 59.9 |
| Mar | 76.1 | 53.0 | 64.5 |
| Apr | 84.7 | 57.6 | 71.1 |
| May | 93.9 | 67.4 | 80.6 |
| Jun | 103.9 | 75.6 | 89.8 |
| Jul | 106.6 | 82.9 | 94.7 |
| Aug | 104.5 | 81.6 | 93.0 |
| Sep | 99.0 | 75.6 | 87.3 |
| Oct | 87.7 | 62.1 | 74.9 |
| Nov | 75.0 | 50.4 | 62.7 |
| Dec | 67.1 | 43.9 | 55.5 |
| Annual | 86.4 | 61.9 | 74.2 |
Highest mean and lowest mean by months and year of occurrence 1896-2007
| Month | Highest | Year | Lowest | Year |
| Jan | 62.0 | 2003 | 43.2 | 1937 |
| Feb | 66.0 | 1991 | 48.6 | 1939 |
| Mar | 72.3 | 2004 | 54.3 | 1897 |
| Apr | 80.1 | 1989 | 62.4 | 1967 |
| May | 87.0 | 1984 | 69.0 | 1917 |
| Jun | 94.6 | 2006 | 79.0 | 1965 |
| Jul | 97.7 | 2003 | 85.4 | 1912 |
| Aug | 96.2 | 2007 | 84.6 | 1918 |
| Sep | 92.2 | 2001 | 78.9 | 1900 1912 |
| Oct | 82.7 | 2003 | 66.2 | 1916 |
| Nov | 70.0 | 2007 | 55.0 | 1922 |
| Dec | 61.3 | 1980 | 46.6 | 1911 |
| Annual | 77.0 | 1989 | 67.8 | 1964 |
Highest and lowest mean maximum by months and year of occurrence – 1896-2008
| Month | Highest mean max | Year | Lowest mean max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74.6 | 2003 | 53.5 | 1949 |
| Feb | 78.7 | 1991 | 60.5 | 1939 |
| Mar | 86.7 | 1972 | 67.3 | 1897 1858 |
| Apr | 84.2 | 1989 | 75.1 | 1900 |
| May | 101.2 | 1984 | 83.7 | 1917 |
| Jun | 108.6 | 1974 | 96.0 | 1967 |
| Jul | 109.8 | 1989 | 97.7 | 1912 |
| Aug | 107.3 | 1962 | 97.0 | 1955 |
| Sep | 104.6 | 2001 | 93.6 | 1900 |
| Oct | 95.8 | 1952 | 80.7 | 1919 |
| Nov | 82.3 | 1949 | 67.4 | 2000 |
| Dec | 74.9 | 1980 | 59.2 | 1909 |
| Annual | 89.8 | 1989 | 81.4 | 1913 |
Highest and lowest mean minimum by months and year of occurrence – 1896-2008
| Month | Highest mean min | Year | Lowest mean min | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49.8 | 1993 | 31.9 | 1937 |
| Feb | 53.2 | 1991 | 33.4 | 1964 |
| Mar | 59.5 | 2004 | 40.3 | 1917 |
| Apr | 65.9 | 1989 | 47.5 | 1967 |
| May | 73.7 | 1997 | 54.2 | 1917 |
| Jun | 81.8 | 2006 | 60.6 | 1967 |
| Jul | 86.6 | 2003 | 73.1 | 1917 |
| Aug | 86.1 | 2007 | 71.3 | 1965 |
| Sep | 80.6 | 1983 | 63.6 | 1912 1965 |
| Oct | 70.8 | 2003 | 50.8 | 1923 |
| Nov | 58.3 | 2007 | 37.3 | 1916 |
| Dec | 48.2 | 1977 1991 | 32.6 | 1916 |
| Annual | 64.9 | 2003 | 53.1 | 1917 |
Greatest number of consecutive months with average temperature below normal:
13 months from May 1916 through May 1917
Greatest number of consecutive months with average temperature above normal:
38 Months from January 1988 through February 1991
Highest maximum and lowest minimum by months and day and year of occurrence 1896-2008
| Highest max | Day | Year | Lowest min | Day | Year | |
| Jan | 88 | 19 | 1971 | 16 | 7 | 1913 |
| Feb | 92 | 25 27 | 1921 1986 | 24 | 7 8 | 1899 1933 |
| Mar | 100 | 26 | 1988 | 25 | 4 | 1966 |
| April | 105 | 20 29 | 1989 1992 | 35 | 10 | 1922 |
| May | 114 | 30 | 1910 | 39 | 3 | 1899 |
| Jun | 122 | 26 | 1990 | 49 | 4 | 1908 |
| Jul | 121 | 28 | 1995 | 63 | 4 5 | 1912 1912 |
| Aug | 116 | 1 4 | 1972 1975 | 58 | 20 | 1917 |
| Sep | 116 | 1 | 1950 | 47 | 22 20 21 | 1895 1965 1965 |
| Oct | 107 | 1 2 | 1980 1989 | 34 | 30 | 1971 |
| Nov | 96 | 1 2 | 1924 1924 | 27 | 23 | 1931 |
| Dec | 87 | 10 | 1950 | 22 | 31 26 | 1900 1911 |
| Annual | 122 | Jun 26 | 1990 | 16 | Jan 7 | 1913 |
Temperature
Lowest maximum and highest minimum by months and day and year of occurrence 1896-2008
| Month | Lowest max | Day | Year | Highest min | Day | Year |
| Jan | 39 | 6 21 | 1913 1937 | 61 | 27 | 1988 |
| Feb | 46 | 6 8 | 1899 1903 | 65 | 21 | 1996 |
| Mar | 49 | 2 | 1915 | 74 | 28 | 1986 |
| Apr | 52 | 1 | 1949 | 77 | 27 | 1987 |
| May | 54 | 1 | 1915 | 86 | 29 | 1983 |
| Jun | 68 | 2 | 1899 | 93 | 27 | 1990 |
| Jul | 79 | 1 | 1911 | 96 | 15 | 2003 |
| Aug | 73 | 27 | 1951 | 95 | 12 | 2003 |
| Sep | 66 | 23 | 1895 | 90 | 3 31 | 1982 1983 2007 |
| Oct | 56 | 30 | 1959 | 83 | 2 | 1997 |
| Nov | 40 | 28 | 1919 | 73 | 4 | 2001 |
| Dec | 36 | 10 | 1898 | 65 | 3 | 1986 |
| Annual | 36 | Dec 10 | 1898 | 93 | Jun 27 Jul 20 | 1990 1989 |
Greatest and least monthly temperature range by months and year of occurrence 1896-1995
| Greatest range | Year | Least range | Year | |
| Jan | 69 | 1971 | 33 | 1995 |
| Feb | 61 | 1921 | 31 | 1993 |
| Mar | 67 | 1966 | 35 | 1980 |
| Apr | 62 | 1949 | 44 | 1931 |
| May | 66 | 1910 | 40 | 1981 |
| Jun | 63 | 1929 | 38 | 1986 |
| Jul | 50 | 1905 | 33 | 1959 1981 |
| Aug | 51 | 1918 1962 | 31 | 1955 |
| Sep | 58 | 1945 | 35 | 1981 |
| Oct | 66 | 1917 | 33 | 1983 |
| Nov | 67 | 1931 | 38 | 1986 |
| Dec | 58 | 1911 | 35 | 1992 |
| Annual | 96 | 1990 | 77 | 1984 1991 1992 |
Hottest and coolest summers 1896-1995 (Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep combination)
| Hottest | Year | Coolest | Year | ||
| 93.4 | 1981 | 84.1 | 1912 | ||
| 93.3 | 1989 | 84.2 | 1913 | ||
| 92.7 | 1988 | 84.4 | 1923 | ||
| 92.1 | 1994 | 84.6 | 1965 | ||
| 92.0 | 1977 | 85.1 | 1964 | ||
| Hottest three successive months | Hottest two successive months | ||||
| Temperature | Combination | Temperature | Combination | ||
| 94.8 | Jun,Jul, Aug 1981 | 95.6 | Jul, Aug 1989 | ||
| 94.4 | Jun, Jul, Aug 1988 | 95.5 | Jul, Aug 1981 | ||
| 94.4 | Jun, Jul, Aug 1989 | 95.1 | Jul, Aug 1988 | ||
| 93.9 | Jun, Jul, Aug 1985 | 94.8 | Jul, Aug 1991 | ||
| 93.8 | Jun, Jul, Aug 1994 | 94.7 | Jul, Aug 1985 | ||
| 93.5 | Jun, Jul, Aug 1977 | 94.6 | Jul, Aug 1977 | ||
| 93.2 | Jun, Jul, Aug 1986 | 94.6 | Jul, Aug 1994 | ||
| 94.6 | Jul, Aug 1995 | ||||
| 94.6 | Jul, Aug 1995 |
Hottest month
| Temperature | Month | Year |
| 97.4 | Jul | 1989 |
| 96.2 | Jul | 1988 |
| 95.8 | Aug | 1981 |
| 95.6 | Jul | 1980 |
| 95.5 | Jul | 1983 |
| 95.3 | Aug | 1994 |
Warmest and coldest winters 1896-Feb 1995 (Dec, Jan, Feb combination)
| Warmest | Year | Coldest | Year | |
| 60.6 | 1980-1981 | 49.3 | 1963-1964 | |
| 59.4 | 1985-1986 | 49.8 | 1948-1949 | |
| 58.6 | 1991-1992 | 50.0 | 1916-1917 | |
| 58.5 | 1990-1991 | 52.2 | 1945-1946 |
| Coldest two successive months | Coldest month | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.0 | Jan, Feb | 1964 | 43.2 | Jan 1937 | |
| 48.2 | Dec, Jan | 1936-1937 | 44.6 | Jan 1949 | |
| 48.3 | Dec, Jan | 1948-1949 | 46.6 | Dec 1911 | |
| 48.4 | Dec, Jan | 1931-1932 | 47.0 | Jan 1932 | |
| 48.7 | Jan, Feb | 1949 | 47.1 | Dec 1916 |
Record high dew points in degrees and dates of occurrence
1896-1995
Highest hourly dew points
| Dew Point (F°) | Month | Day | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | Jul | 19 | 1957 |
| 78 | Aug | 9 | 1977 |
| 78 | Aug | 20 | 1978 |
| 77 | Aug | 1 | 1951 |
| 76 | Jul | 10 | 1899 |
| 76 | Aug | 10 | 1913 |
| 76 | Aug | 4 | 1943 |
| 76 | Jul | 31 | 1945 |
| 76 | Jul | 17 | 1953 |
| 76 | Jul | 22 | 1966 |
| 76 | Aug | 19 | 1966 |
Highest daily average dew points
| Dew Point (F°) | Month | Day | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Aug | 4 | 1943 |
| 73 | Aug | 19 | 1966 |
Highest monthly average dew points
| Dew point (F°) | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 68 | Aug | 1955 |
| 67 | Aug | 1943 |
Record low dew points in degrees and dates of occurrence
1896-Jun 1995
Lowest hourly dew points
| Dew point (F°) | Month | Day | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| -23 | Nov | 28 | 1976 |
| -22 | Dec | 21 | 1977 |
| -15 | Jan | 29 | 1970 |
| -14 | Feb | 2 | 1972 |
| -13 | Feb | 3 | 1972 |
| -13 | Apr | 13 | 1974 |
| -12 | Mar | 10 | 1977 |
| -11 | Feb | 4 | 1972 |
Lowest daily average dew points
| Dew point (F°) | Month | Day | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| -10 | Dec | 21 | 1977 |
| -5 | Feb | 3 | 1972 |
Lowest monthly average dew points
| Dew point (F°) | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Fe | 1972 |
| 21 | Mar | 1977 |
Record low hourly humidities in recent and date of occurrence
1896-Jun 1995
| Relative humidity (%) | Month | Day | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | May | 8 | 1904 |
| 2 | May | 16 | 1907 |
| 2 | May | 13 | 1976 |
| 2 | Dec | 21 | 1977 |
| 2 | Apr | 21 | 1979 |
| 2 | Jun | 4 | 1982 |
Heat index (apparent temperature)
Most people are familiar with the term “wind-chill factor” which gives the combined effects of wind and temperature as an equivalent calm air temperature. For example, if the temperature is 0°F and the wind is 5 mph, the wind-chill factor is -5°F; at 10 mph, it is -22°F; and at 20 mph it is -39°F. Just as an increase in wind makes the cold air more unbearable, so does an increase in the moisture content of the air make the high summer temperatures more uncomfortable.
In most sections of the country, people look forward to summer. In the desert southwest, however, summer is the most undesirable time of the year. The term “Heat Index” is an apparent temperature based on the actual temperature and the amount of moisture in the air. The Heat Index Graph, devised by the National Weather Service, uses temperature and humidity values to determine the heat index. The areas of the graph are labeled: very warm, hot, very hot, and extremely hot. Most of the typical sunny summer days in the high country of Arizona fall into the very warm category. At the 5,000-foot level, they fall into the hot, and in the lower deserts, they are in the very hot area of the graph. The chart also gives the heat syndrome for each classification.
The dew point, or the temperature to which the air must be cooled before condensation can take place, gives a true value of now much moisture is actually in the air. By knowing the temperature and dew point, the humidity can be determined. Using the temperature and humidity, the heat index can be arrived at by using the graph.
The prolonged summer head with maximum temperatures generally between 105 and 110 degrees in the Phoenix area causes some degree of fatigue in most people. Exhaustion and even heatstroke and sunstroke are possible with prolonged outdoor activity. This is especially true during much of July and August when the atmosphere becomes laden with tropical moisture.
Phoenix records were checked back to 1896 to find the highest humidity ever for each temperature from 100 through 118 degrees.
| Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Heat index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 75 | 45 | 112 |
| 101 | 74 | 43 | 112 |
| 102 | 69 | 35 | 110 |
| 103 | 69 | 34 | 110 |
| 104 | 68 | 32 | 111 |
| 105 | 69 | 32 | 113 |
| 106 | 67 | 29 | 112 |
| 107 | 66 | 27 | 112 |
| 108 | 68 | 28 | 116 |
| 109 | 66 | 26 | 116 |
| 110 | 62 | 22 | 113 |
| 111 | 63 | 22 | 116 |
| 112 | 59 | 18 | 113 |
| 113 | 59 | 18 | 115 |
| 114 | 57 | 16 | 114 |
| 115 | 56 | 15 | 115 |
| 116 | 56 | 15 | 117 |
| 117 | 56 | 14 | 117 |
| 118 | 56 | 14 | 118 |
It is interesting to note that with high moisture content, with humidities in the 30% and 40% range, the temperature never reached over 105 degrees. It is only with very dry air that temperatures climbed over 112 degrees. This is nature’s way of not allowing conditions to get entirely out of hand.
The myth of increasing moisture levels in Phoenix
By Robert C. Balling, Jr., and Sandra W. Brazel
Office of Climatology, Arizona State University
Is Phoenix becoming more humid? Many local residents believe that irrigated landscaping, swimming pools, and lakes and canals in new housing developments around the city are forcing moisture levels noticeably upward. However, many scientists have shown that cities usually act to decrease moisture levels in the atmosphere. This is caused by (a) paved surfaces that store little moisture and force rapid runoff following a rain event and (b) increased temperature in the “urban heat island”.
Despite local interest in atmosphere moisture trends in the valley, surprisingly little scientific research has directly addressed this issue.
We decided to examine the Phoenix, Arizona, weather records from 1896-1984 to see if there has been a change in the humidity of the Phoenix urban area. We chose relative humidity and dew point temperatures for statistical analysis. The dew point temperature is a better indicator of the amount of moisture in the air, which is the major contributor to human discomfort.
Since Arizona has a distinct two season rainfall pattern (a monsoon season, July through September and a winter season, December through April), we chose the months of May, June, October, and November for analysis. These transition months should be the least affected by large-scale weather disturbances since they are in between the precipitation seasons. Thus any urban effect on humidity should be clearly evident.
We chose six different relatively sophisticated statistical techniques to analyze the time series patterns in the atmospheric moisture data. These techniques basically search for “climatic signals” that may be contained in the “noisy” variance patterns in our data. These statistical procedures allow us to make conclusions regarding any trends, cycles, or discontinuities in the moisture records.
The results for the dew points were somewhat surprising. In May, October, and November, our statistical procedures indicated that the variations in the data were random; however, some form of non-random variation appeared to exist in the June dew points. Our analyses showed that trend was not the source of non-random inter-annual variation in June (or any other month). The systematic variations in June were found to be related in several significant cycles in the data. One cycle showed a maximum occurring in 1943, and a minimum 1898. This important cycle shows that we are presently heading towards another minimum projected for 1987. Another cyclical pattern showed maxima in 1917 and 1962, and minima in 1939 and 1984. Clearly dew points are not rising in Phoenix.
Given the steady or falling dew points, and assuming the highly probable occurrence of some urban heat island effects (higher temperatures in the city), the relative humidity values should display decreasing levels, again contrary to popular opinion. All of our statistics from each month indicated a strong downward trend in the relative humidity levels. The levels display a peak in the 1920s and a pronounced minimum in the 1970s and 1980s. So we have concluded that while increases in irrigated and sprinkled areas and open water surfaces may have occurred in the growing Phoenix area, many other effects of urbanization have apparently produced an overriding, counteracting impact on the atmospheric moisture levels.
Average temperature and relative humidity by five-year periods
1896-1995
| 5-Year interval | Temperature | Relative humidity |
|---|---|---|
| 1896-1900 | 69.8 | 38 |
| 1901-1905 | 70.1 | 39 |
| 1906-1910 | 69.7 | 44 |
| 1911-1915 | 68.9 | 44 |
| 1916-1920 | 68.9 | 48 |
| 1921-1925 | 70.2 | 44 |
| 1926-1930 | 70.9 | 41 |
| 1931-1935 | 71.8 | 40 |
| 1956-1960 | 71.3 | 40 |
| 1936-1940 | 71.9 | 47 |
| 1941-1945 | 70.5 | 41 |
| 1946-1950 | 71.3 | 43 |
| 1951-1955 | 71.0 | 41 |
| 1961-1965 | 69.6 | 38 |
| 1966-1970 | 70.7 | 40 |
| 1971-1975 | 71.8 | 35 |
| 1976-1980 | 73.5 | 46 |
| 1981-1985 | 74.3 | 39 |
| 1986-1990 | 75.8 | 34 |
| 1991-1995 | 74.6 | 37 |
These values of relative humidity are averages of the five years. The yearly averages are based on the averages of the twelve months. The monthly averages are based on daily values taken at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.
These data also show high values in the 1910s and 1920s and low values in the 1970s and 1980s. This is in good agreement with the above research project.
It again points out that with urbanization, more buildings of all kinds, more paved surfaces and the heat island effect, the relative humidity decreases.