# Arizona in July



## tiger1210 (Apr 29, 2009)

Thinking of going to Marriott in Phoenix or another resort in either Scottsdale or Sedona in July. Is it way too hot for this - can you stand the heat there? I heard the Marriott is really nice and I would like to check it out, but only have July to go. But not sure if it would be too uncomfortable.


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## DeniseM (Apr 29, 2009)

Temps regularly reach 110 in July - over 100 every day is the norm - you will want to do any activities before noon and after dark.


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## Vacation Dude (Apr 29, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> Temps regularly reach 110 in July - over 100 every day is the norm - you will want to do any activities before noon and after dark.



That's not so bad, but when it hits 115 or 120...that's hot. 

Good news is that the golf courses are wide open for 12 noon tee-times.


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## ricoba (Apr 29, 2009)

You are coming from Southern CA, so it's not going to be a big shock like it may be if you were coming from a Northern city.

Even where you live up in Alta Loma is usually a bit hotter than where I live down here in the South Bay area(Carson/Long Beach) and I can take Vegas or Palm Springs in the summer.  

I think the hottest I can remember in Vegas was 117, which we dealt with.

I guess it's all a matter of what you enjoy, I for one sort of enjoy the hot summers in the desert.


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## AwayWeGo (Apr 29, 2009)

*Hotter Than The Hinges.*

Tucson AZ was plenty hot when I was there for a couple of weeks in July 1980. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## ricoba (Apr 29, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> Tucson AZ was plenty hot when I was there for a couple of weeks in July 1981.
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​




I worked with a guy who always talked about when he lived in Yuma, and he always referred to it as 3 feet above Hell!


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## AwayWeGo (Apr 29, 2009)

*Plenty Hot In Yuma.*




ricoba said:


> I worked with a guy who always talked about when he lived in Yuma, and he always referred to it as 3 feet above Hell!


Yuma was plenty hot also when I was there for a day or 2 in 1982. 

But it was a _dry_ heat. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Vacation Dude (Apr 29, 2009)

AwayWeGo said:


> But it was a _dry_ heat.



Yeah, I heard that one....trust me 115' is hot no matter how dry it is.


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## Luanne (Apr 29, 2009)

Vacation Dude said:


> Yeah, I heard that one....trust me 115' is hot no matter how dry it is.



I look at it this way.  Dry heat is like being in an oven, humid heat is like being in a sauna.  Neither one is comfortable for long periods of time.


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## PigsDad (Apr 29, 2009)

My good friend usually goes to Phoenix for a week or so in the summer and plays a lot of golf.  The carts have misters, and as mentioned you can easily get mid-day tee times.  He doesn't seem to mind it at all.

Being dry, it does cool down faster at night than those places w/ high humidity.

Kurt


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## ricoba (Apr 29, 2009)

Luanne said:


> I look at it this way.  Dry heat is like being in an oven, humid heat is like being in a sauna.  Neither one is comfortable for long periods of time.



The worst time to visit the desert is in August during "monsoon" season.  Because then you get the high heat and the high humidity. 

And you are right Luanne, neither an oven nor a sauna is too much fun for too long!


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## eal (Apr 29, 2009)

Sedona would be more tolerable in July and Flagstaff would be even better.  Phoenix and Scottsdale are really really hot at that time of year!


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## nightnurse613 (Apr 29, 2009)

Well, you shouldn't plan on barefootin to the pool, fer sure!  It's not like you would want to be outside a lot anyway, unless, of course, you are golfing. We go from air conditioned homes, to air conditioned cars to air conditioned malls and shopping centers.  Clearly when it's 110 you want to spend as little time outside as possible but the reality is the shaded walk to the pool isn't what you have to worry about. Sun burn is a serious problem and can ruin a vacation. I'm sure I don't need to warn anyone to get SPF30 or 50 lotion.  If you come expecting the heat you'll get it (and the nighttime temperature often lingers in the 80s and 90s).  If it's not monsoon season then, as they say, it's a dry heat but hot nonetheless. Frankly, Sedona at 90 isn't really that much better IMHO (but the views help take your mind off the heat).


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## isisdave (Apr 29, 2009)

The annoying thing about the desert in the summer is that the pool will be about 96 degrees, so  there's no relief there, even if it isn't closed because the high temps have caused algae, bacteria, and small octopi to grow in it.


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## Red Rox (Apr 29, 2009)

There's a huge difference between PHX and Sedona. Think 15 degrees. Summer in PHX can be brutal, where as in Sedona it's much more tolerable, and at Flagstaff or the South Rim of the Grand Canyon it's delightful. The difference in elevation is as much as 6,000 feet. Temps in Flag can be 20-25 degrees cooler than PHX.


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## Pens_Fan (Apr 30, 2009)

We hit the beginning of monsoon season in July of 2007.

110 degrees with high humidity was not a particularly exciting combination.  We did drive up to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff.  The temperatures were much nicer there.


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## JulieAB (Apr 30, 2009)

Native here...  



nightnurse613 said:


> Well, you shouldn't plan on barefootin to the pool, fer sure!  It's not like you would want to be outside a lot anyway, unless, of course, you are golfing. We go from air conditioned homes, to air conditioned cars to air conditioned malls and shopping centers.  Clearly when it's 110 you want to spend as little time outside as possible but the reality is the shaded walk to the pool isn't what you have to worry about. Sun burn is a serious problem and can ruin a vacation. I'm sure I don't need to warn anyone to get SPF30 or 50 lotion.  If you come expecting the heat you'll get it (and the nighttime temperature often lingers in the 80s and 90s).  If it's not monsoon season then, as they say, it's a dry heat but hot nonetheless. Frankly, Sedona at 90 isn't really that much better IMHO (but the views help take your mind off the heat).



As noted, nearly everything is indoors here.  So it really depends on what kind of activities you want to do.  If you'd like to visit all the water parks and lounge in the lazy river all day (isn't Marriot the one with the awesome pool? Or is that Troon?), than July is great.  It's like bath water and you walk right in.  You might even get some fun monsoon action because it starts by mid-July.  Don't plan to go hiking unless you drive up north for a day trip.  Shopping can happen at the malls, but downtown shops would be miserable (outdoors).
Don't plan on nights getting in the 80s though.  It is frequently still 98 degrees outside at 10 pm.  Sure, things are more tolerable in the shade.  But I won't deny it.  It really is HOT here and frequently unbearable outside, but you can find great deals in the off season.



isisdave said:


> The annoying thing about the desert in the summer is that the pool will be about 96 degrees, so  there's no relief there, even if it isn't closed because the high temps have caused algae, bacteria, and small octopi to grow in it.



I would think the major resorts have good evasive airators that do a better job than my pool at home.



Red Rox said:


> There's a huge difference between PHX and Sedona. Think 15 degrees. Summer in PHX can be brutal, where as in Sedona it's much more tolerable, and at Flagstaff or the South Rim of the Grand Canyon it's delightful. The difference in elevation is as much as 6,000 feet. Temps in Flag can be 20-25 degrees cooler than PHX.



I don't even think Sedona outdoors is enjoyable in the summer.  We went over labor day and it was still 95.  So unless you plan to be boating, waterskiing, hiking Oak Creek, or visiting Slide Rock, I'd reconsider Sedona unless it is scenic drive from within an air-conditioned car.
But I agree that Flagstaff and other northern parts like the canyon would be great at this time.


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## rapmarks (Apr 30, 2009)

Two trips to Phoenix and Tucson in July - it was the most awful experience.

It was 116 one day and the soda cans exploded in our car.

I don't see how you can stay in the lazy river, the sun is blinding and any part of your body in the air is  way too hot. Not much shade either.

If you go there, don't you want to see the sights?  Well you can't do any outdoor natural sites it is way too hot.

I remeber going to old Tucson and desperately looking for a little shade.  We left rather quickly.


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## grest (Apr 30, 2009)

We can only travel on our school schedule, so when we head out to Arizona it has always been in summer.  It's plenty hot, but doable.
Connie


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## mamadot (Apr 30, 2009)

Most who live here try to leave for the summer.  It is very hot but there are great  deals on spa treatments and golf at the higher end resorts. If you just want to lay by the pool then it will be perfect.

Sedona would be about 20 degrees cooler.


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## Red Rox (Apr 30, 2009)

About one third of the people who own homes in Sedona are part time/seasonal residents. Of those, about half are winter residents who come to escape the cold in the north, and the other half are summer residents who come to escape the heat of the summer in places like PHX or Palm Desert. I live here year round but do most of my serious vacationing away from Sedona in the winter to find warmer climes, like Mexico or Palm Springs. I stay for most of the summer and since we installed the evaporative cooling system in our house 3 years ago, we haven't used our air conditioning system at all. Temps can get well into the nineties, but with no humidity and summer breezes, it remains comfortable. If it gets to 100 we are setting a record.


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## JEFF H (May 3, 2009)

Summer in Arizona is hot but not as bad as summer in humid places like Florida. I do most all of my outdoors activities other than the pool early morning or after sundown.
Many resorts have waterfalls in the pools to cool the water.
I find a shady spot around the pool and then jump in the pool for a short swim and back in the shade. being wet with a breeze in the shade makes you feel really cool. When I get hot its back in the pool to get wet and repeat.
Always use the strongest sunblock.


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## El Codo (May 3, 2009)

I live in Az (phoenix/scottsdale area).  Depending where you're coming from, it may seem hot.

Some of these are in other posts.  Here's my take on it.

-  July 4th seems typically to be one of the hottest days of the year.  It seems that way anyway (ie not saying it's true).  You may want to check weather.com

- The poster that said you wouldn't be barefootin' it to the pool is absolutely right.  Even with kool decking, the areas around the pool get hot.  Not so bad if the deck is wet.  Forget about regular cement.

- We have a pool with shade so we sometimes get out into the pool as early as 2 or 3 in the afternoon.  To avoid the sunscreen, we may wait until 6 or so.  You can spend the evening in the pool no problem, get out for a bit, get back in etc.

- Sedona and Flagstaff are the nearby getaway areas people from the Phoenix metro area go to during the summer time (< 3hrs).   If you're concerned about the heat then Sedona may be a really good destination for you.  The red rock is beautiful, there is nature to see, hiking and outdoor activities, some artsy things to do, and it isn't too far from the Grand Canyon (maybe an hour or a little more).

- Other locations you may want to look into are Pinetop and Showlow.  I'm not sure about resorts there.

- Having lived in the midwest for 3.5 years when I was younger, to me there IS a difference between humidity and dry heat. I'll take a higher temp dry heat over humidity any day.

- Anything over 110 is just plain hot and is a number.  112, 113 ....just numbers  - checkout weather.com to see the seasonal temperatures

- The heat isn't a factor for getting out and doing stuff during the day, as long as it's indoors.  A/C in the house, A/C in the car, A/C where you're going.   Around 7pm is when you see traffic picking up and people out on the roads.  Locations may have misters outside to cool the areas.  They're great.

- You can check out Old Town Scottsdale, there's a major mall near there. If you're a baseball fan you might be able to take in a Diamondback game (covered stadium w/AC).

Hopefully this helps a bit.


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