fullstkinventor

It’s not terrible when it’s 119 in Phoenix. We also have green summer lawns that we water too. We live, the lawns help keep the interior of the city cool, as do the trees.

I’m sure many think it’s illogical to try to live on Phoenix. That’s alright, it’s our choice.

Everybody puts solar shade reflectors in the front and side windows - else you’ll burn your hands on the steering wheel. Phoenix historic downtown homes don’t generally have garages and shade is hard to find. We always leave the windows cracked. It’s a very extreme environ akin to Death Valley and it’s hard to imagine if you haven’t lived through a summer here.

It might be better to look at it as a "strategically timed" car wash. Its so dusty in the summer your windshield can be hard to see out of. We have little humidity in July. Just horrid oven like heat. We open the door and windows to get the air out too. Probably the lack of humidity in June / July allows this to work in a way it would not in non-desert places.

Also after a week or two over 115, 110 feels absolutely "cool" to us here in Phoenix. We really do say "Hey, today the high is only 110! Fall is coming!".

If you get into a car to pick a family member up in a 119 degree afternoon, your car’s internal temperature may very well be over 130 degrees.

Yes, you will splash some water on your car to make it tolerable to drive.

Phoenix native here. The people who have lived here a long time know how to adjust to the heat. You really have to live “another way”. People who come to town are completely unprepared. It feels like LA weather from October until May, and then suddenly it’s very hot.

You can’t live “normally” when it’s over 115, with a low of 93 at 5 am. There’s tons of unofficial lifestyle rules to survive well. For example before you drive you “cool down your car” by turning on the air conditioning and washing the car by running the hose all over it (even though that water is also hot lol). Cooling off your car that’s been sitting in the hot sun with water allows the air to actually work.

Tons of stuff like that. You need to drink cold water with electrolytes and I find everyone’s diet changes. People eat less, and eat spicier Mexican food and salt.

It’s a real special environment. I personally believe the June July August and first half of Sept heat challenges are worth the desert beauty of the rest of the year.