American Airlines flights in Phoenix canceled as temperatures soar

[MomentsofSanity]

At least it's happening now when the air is dryer. Hard to believe it's not even the first day of summer yet. That's tomorrow. Couldn't imagine 120 with moist air thrown in.

 

[davmat787]

I remember when I lived in Las Cruces and the summer temps reached 116F during the daytime. It was hard to breath with the air that thin and overheating automobiles were common during the daytime in slow moving traffic. The nighttime cool down wasn't so great with temps in the mid 80's before it started all over again. I don't miss living in that region at all.

The desert wouldn't provide lower temperatures at night than 80 if daytime was 110+? I guess I'm comparing to the deserts in say Iraq or similar regions that can be surprising cold at night while unbelievably hot during the day. You'd have to experience first-hand to believe the temperature swing but I can't say I would recommend the area unless you have a military at your back and close air support just a mic call away!

 

[Pens1566]

The desert wouldn't provide lower temperatures at night than 80 if daytime was 110+? I guess I'm comparing to the deserts in say Iraq or similar regions that can be surprising cold at night while unbelievably hot during the day. You'd have to experience first-hand to believe the temperature swing but I can't say I would recommend the area unless you have a military at your back and close air support just a mic call away!

If you're referring to Phoenix or Tucson as the desert, all that concrete holds heat in and it radiates. It doesn't get nearly as cool at night as it would in real open desert. Lows in the high 80s at night.

 

[dainthomas]

I think living just on the dry side of the ranges would provide the best experience. Somewhere like The Dalles where one can be dry and sunny most of the time but have easy access to the wet side would be good.

I think that's one of the reasons Bend is growing so quickly. Winters aren't crazy cold and snowy, lots of sun year round, and high enough to not get super hot.

 

[JMC2000]

I remember when I lived in Las Cruces and the summer temps reached 116F during the daytime. It was hard to breath with the air that thin and overheating automobiles were common during the daytime in slow moving traffic. The nighttime cool down wasn't so great with temps in the mid 80's before it started all over again. I don't miss living in that region at all.

Ugh, Las Cruces and El Paso are just bleh places to live, much less visit, during the Summer.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Ugh, Las Cruces and El Paso are just bleh places to live, much less visit, during the Summer.

The best part about that place is the restaurant La Posta located in the township of old Mesilla. They have the best Mexican food that I've ever had.

 

[davmat787]

If you're referring to Phoenix or Tucson as the desert, all that concrete holds heat in and it radiates. It doesn't get nearly as cool at night as it would in real open desert. Lows in the high 80s at night.

I was thinking more of the the 24 hour temperature extremes of the open desert areas 'round your parts. I've been to Vegas in late July and felt the heat radiating off the buildings at 4:30 AM so I know exactly what you refer too.

I could never live in a big city for that reason and others but do enjoy being close enough to one (Seattle in my case) to enjoy it's benefits when desired.

 

[WackyDan]

I've never been the AZ....but my brother just moved there with his lady, and she is from there. She explained it like opening an oven....hot and dry. She also says its preferable to the humidity here where I am in New England. I can't even fathom how people in the Southeast USA stay there.

***Because we can tolerate humidity far better than snow and the frigid cold... as well the cars rusting out from under us.

 

[Pens1566]

I was thinking more of the the 24 hour temperature extremes of the open desert areas 'round your parts. I've been to Vegas in late July and felt the heat radiating off the buildings at 4:30 AM so I know exactly what you refer too.

I could never live in a big city for that reason and others but do enjoy being close enough to one (Seattle in my case) to enjoy it's benefits when desired.

Vegas is really bad. Temp is usually a bit lower than extreme places (Yuma, Death Valley) but the humidity is higher from all the artificial water displays and fountains. It's one of the two most miserable places I've been for heat. San Antonio being the other.

 

[davmat787]

Vegas is really bad. Temp is usually a bit lower than extreme places (Yuma, Death Valley) but the humidity is higher from all the artificial water displays and fountains. It's one of the two most miserable places I've been for heat. San Antonio being the other.

I didn't enjoy Vegas at all, I'd rather play poker with friends than gamble against a machine and the house and everything was geared to being inside consuming shit, buying shit; gambling away money, or thinking some bullshit club makes one cool all the sudden. So much posing from the youngsters it was hilarious. Just not my thing but I've heard there's much more to do beyond gambling nowdays. I was there for a bachelor party around 2004 or 2005.

 

[Azuma Hazuki]

Oh gods, I may be relocated to Vegas soon...I can tolerate 100*F+ heat if it's dry and have lots of water to drink, but humidity in that temperature will kill me. Even here in Milwaukee summer humidity at 85*F makes me want to die...

 

[zinfamous]

I've never been the AZ....but my brother just moved there with his lady, and she is from there. She explained it like opening an oven....hot and dry. She also says its preferable to the humidity here where I am in New England. I can't even fathom how people in the Southeast USA stay there.

yeah, it's way better than comparative temperatures in humid areas.

with 120 in Arizona, it's generally no worse than 120 if you are hanging out under a well-shaded tree. ...maybe even a pleasant 110 if there is a nice breeze.

whereas ~98 in the Florida panhandle during July and August is more like 115, in the shade. It's effing miserable.

(numbers pulled entirely from my ass, obviously)

 

[JMC2000]

***Because we can tolerate humidity far better than snow and the frigid cold... as well the cars rusting out from under us.

TBH, I'd prefer the snow and frigid cold over 95°+ with 90%+ humidity, even though my joints don't tolerate the cold all too well.

 

[Genx87]

I worked in Vegas on a contract in Summer of 02. I arrived on a day it hit 117. It was 109 at 10am. The dry heat is real. Coming from MN I felt 100+ in Vegas was around 85 in MN. Tolerable in pants. I did get a feeling of the true heat when we visited an office park that sprayed their plants and put water in the air and created high humidity. That was heat I had never experienced before. Was probably 109 that day with the humidity over 80%. Felt like I put my entire body above a pot of boiling water.

My favorite sensation which we never get in MN. Coming out of a pool when it is 95+ degrees and feeling cold because the water evaporates so fast.

 

[vi edit]

If you're referring to Phoenix or Tucson as the desert, all that concrete holds heat in and it radiates. It doesn't get nearly as cool at night as it would in real open desert. Lows in the high 80s at night.

Yeah Phoenix is still brutally hot at night. I remember the summer I spent in Phoenix and wanting to open my patio door at night only to find that it was still 100 degrees at 10PM. It was like walking into a dark oven. Blech. Relatively speaking...I found Phoenix summers worse than Vegas. Phoenix is more humid than Vegas in my experience. August in Phoenix is miserable.

 

[IronWing]

Yeah Phoenix is still brutally hot at night. I remember the summer I spent in Phoenix and wanting to open my patio door at night only to find that it was still 100 degrees at 10PM. It was like walking into a dark oven. Blech. Relatively speaking...I found Phoenix summers worse than Vegas. Phoenix is more humid than Vegas in my experience. August in Phoenix is miserable.

Once the monsoons hit, Arizona weather sucks.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I can't imagine 50°C being preferable to anything!

Had more than a few days when I worked in GA of >110F and 95%+ humidity. You can barely breathe in that shit. Trust me, it can get worse than 120F and dry.

 

[vi edit]

Once the monsoons hit, Arizona weather sucks.

One upside to monsoons is that they produce some of the most amazing lightning I've ever seen. But a bad one can produce up to 5 of the 7 signs of the apocalypse.

 

[OutHouse]

Guess Faux News will not deny global warming anymore from now on?

the desert gets hot moron, its nothing new.
10 All-Time Hottest Weather Temperature Days in Phoenix

1. June 26, 1990 - 122

2. July 28, 1995 - 121

3. June 25, 1990 - 120

T-4. July 2, 2011 - 118

T-4. July 21, 2006 - 118

T-4. July 27, 1995 - 118

 

[OutHouse]

I wonder why they don't wet down their runways to lower the temperatures to an operational level?

 

[OutHouse]

If you've ever flown into Tegucigalpa airport

after watching this... noooooooppppppeeee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_z5HtME9n8

 

[Exterous]

yeah, it's way better than comparative temperatures in humid areas.

with 120 in Arizona, it's generally no worse than 120 if you are hanging out under a well-shaded tree. ...maybe even a pleasant 110 if there is a nice breeze.

whereas ~98 in the Florida panhandle during July and August is more like 115, in the shade. It's effing miserable.

(numbers pulled entirely from my ass, obviously)

Agreed. Last year we went from a hot and humid MI to a hotter but much dryer Spain and it was so much more comfortable. Its one of the reasons MI weather sucks. Its so goddamn humid and we get all the snow in the winter. The only upside is that if the Water Wars ever start we'll be rich

 

[freeskier93]

"Hot and high" conditions require either the lowering of an aircraft's MTOW or using additional performance, if the aircraft has it, that is not required in normal operations. The thinner air that a higher altitude airport has along with high temperatures is hell on a wing's and even the most modern high bypass turbofan. Can't get around the physics or air temperature and density.

If an airline can't operate their shitty little CRJ's profitably in such high temperatures they won't which is unfair for booked passengers but is policy.

For a long time many airlines that operated the 757 wanted Boeing to offer a direct replacement for it as the 757 is the go to aircraft for hot and high operations. If you've ever flown into Tegucigalpa airport in the paradise that is Honduras with it's world leading murder rate per capita you were likely on a 757 or a weight restricted 737 or A320. The finals into that airport is legendary if you're into that kinda thing.

This is why places like DIA, for example, have very long runways. If you calculate the density altitudes you'll actually find that even at 120*F in Phoenix, the air density is the same as DIA on a cold day.

Altitude of Phoenix is 1086’, and using a temperature of 120*F, standard altimeter setting of 29.92 inches Hg, and dew point of 68*F (doesn’t really make a difference), the density altitude is 5359’.

DIA/Denver is at 5280’ elevation, it has a density altitude of 5359’ at about 38*F! On a decently warm summer day (75*F) the density altitude is 7828’.

According to Wikipedia, the runways in Phoenix are 7,800 to 11,489 ft compared to DIA which are 12,000 to 16,000 ft.

 

[XavierMace]

the desert gets hot moron, its nothing new.
10 All-Time Hottest Weather Temperature Days in Phoenix

1. June 26, 1990 - 122

2. July 28, 1995 - 121

3. June 25, 1990 - 120

T-4. July 2, 2011 - 118

T-4. July 21, 2006 - 118

T-4. July 27, 1995 - 118

You'll note we normally don't hit these temps until July which is why people are making note of it.

I'm not a fan of the heat, but I am a fan of getting to laugh at people in the northern frozen wastelands all winter as I'm sitting around in shorts while they're shoveling snow. I can drive with the top down on my car most of the year and don't need winter tires. Plus, no rust. The places that don't get one or the other are generally just ungodly expensive to live in. Cost of living in Phoenix is quite low for a major city.

 

[IronWing]

the desert gets hot moron, its nothing new.
10 All-Time Hottest Weather Temperature Days in Phoenix

1. June 26, 1990 - 122

2. July 28, 1995 - 121

3. June 25, 1990 - 120

T-4. July 2, 2011 - 118

T-4. July 21, 2006 - 118

T-4. July 27, 1995 - 118

So at least six of the top ten temps were recorded in the last 30 years. I don't think you're helping your case.