Vince_Condella's Blog

The news headlines in Phoenix last week were proclaiming a big cool down on the way.  Meanwhile in Milwaukee, forecasters were warning of our first frost of the season.  Both cities were seeing signs of autumn, but for the folks in Phoenix it was a relief they were looking forward to for over a month.

The Phoenix metro area has experienced another summer with over 100 days seeing highs above 100 degrees.  Every day in September had highs of 90 degrees or higher.  Most residents of the Valley of the Sun had reached their limit: it was time for some relief.

My wife and I were in Phoenix this past week visiting her brother and family, so we chuckled when the weather reporters on TV proclaimed that big weather changes were on the way.  Then when we saw their extended outlooks we knew what the fuss was all about.  Highs this week would drop into the 90s.  That was a cool down?  After another blistering summer in the desert, they spell relief with highs in the 90s.

Our cool weather last week was also a sign of the transition to autumn, and the first hard frost for most areas took place Friday and Saturday mornings.

Two different parts of the country, two different signs of the changing season.  Personally, I prefer our seasonal changes here.  In the summer we get some variety.  In Phoenix, summer is hot and humid (nope, it's not a dry heat in the monsoon season) with torrential monsoonal rainfall and strong winds.  The Valley of the Sun is a wonderful place to visit in autumn and spring - they have typical highs in the 70s and 80s in October, November, March and April.  But once the furnace turns on beginning in May, Phoenix residents hunker down for a long stretch of triple digit heat.

This week ahead we can look forward to comfortable autumn weather with occasional days of rainfall.  But hopefully no notable weather headlines.