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As August nears, we Phoenicians know that our summer heat is far from over. While the kids head back to school, and the rest of the country prepares for autumn to soon arrive– we thought it appropriate to prepare a quick history lesson on Arizona’s famous Phoenix heat. We’ll discuss some of the most interesting and record-breaking temperatures in recorded history, as well as how Phoenicians have been able to bear it since before 1912, when Arizona officially became a state.
Phoenix Heat Records
In general, Phoenix is a hot, arid climate with long summers and short, mild winters. It has the more days that reach 100 degrees than any other major US city, and also boasts the highest average summer temperatures in the country. Unsurprisingly, Phoenicians also enjoys about 300 days per year of blue skies and sunshine.
- 1968: Greatest number of consecutive days of 115 or higher at 4 days between June 19th-22nd.
- 1974: June 12th-29th becomes the longest streak of days reaching at least 110, coming in at 18 days.
- 1979: Year with the most days reaching at least 110 in history – 28 days in total.
- 1989: Year with the highest number of days over 100-degrees, coming in at 143 days.
- 1990: June 26th, 1990 is the hottest day in recorded Phoenix history, with official temperature reaching 122.
- 1993: Longest streak of days reaching at least 100-degrees in a row – a whopping 76 days from June 10th to August 24th.
Surviving the Heat: Through the Years
- 1600s: The earliest native Arizonians used the coolness of the earth to survive the heat, by using thick adobe to build their homes on top of pits or caves to protect from the sun. They also built their homes to be southern-facing so they were shaded during the hottest times of the day.
- 1900s: Similar to luxury Arizona homes, many architects in this time created buildings with extremely high ceilings. This did not only unintentionally look nice, but allowed people to say cooler on the ground as the hottest air rose. In 1902, the first air conditioner was invented by Willis Carrier as a means of quality control in commercial factories.
- 1930s: In 1931, Schultz and Sherman invent a one-room air conditioner to sit in a windowsill. Only the wealthy could indulge in this luxury, as one unit alone ran between $10,000-$15,000.
- 1950s: In the 1950s, air conditioning units become commercially available at an affordable rate. Over 1 million units are sold in 1953 alone.
Surviving the Heat: Modern Day
Throughout history, people have used a combination of architectural design and air conditioning to keep cool over the summer. Your air conditioner works hard. You can help to give it a break by installing professional grade protective sunscreens to your windows and sliding glass doors.
Why install protective sunscreens in your home?
Although convenient, cooling our homes with ducted air conditioning is also expensive, and quite damaging to the environment. The average Arizona home emits about 14,920 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. On top of this, the average Arizona homeowner spends about $300 on their electricity bill in August (with the air conditioning racking up most of the cost).
Combating this with CC Sunscreens’ window screens or patio shades will give your air conditioner and wallet a sigh of relief. CC Sunscreens’ window screens prevent about 48%, almost half, of the sun’s heat from ever entering your home – thus allowing the thermostat to be turned up. For your pocketbook, EnergyStar estimates that for every 1-degree increase on your thermostat in the summer equates to a 6% savings in cooling energy.
Survive the Phoenix heat by calling CC Sunscreens for a complimentary, no obligation, in home consultation and quote.
To learn more about sunscreens, contact us at CC Sunscreens!
CC Sunscreens
5237 W. Montebello Ave, Suite C8
Glendale, AZ 85301
Phone : 602-795-4258
Email : sethcoates@ccsunscreens.com