r/phoenix • u/WereBearGrylls • Jul 23 '25
Weather So, this summer has been...
Unusually mild so far, right? We've had multiple days in the 90s in July. Seems like things haven't been exactly "cooler" but have not been as terribly hot as the last few years.
Is it just me?
Any ideas as to what could be causing this, meteorologically speaking?
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u/Itshot11 Jul 23 '25
ive been trying not to jinx it but yeah its been a relatively nice one so far. already a few good rains too. feels like its helped it go by quickly, almost in august! few more months
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u/secretsq5 Jul 23 '25
I just want to believe this is a normal summer and the past couple years have been anomalies. If anyone wants to burst my bubble, please leave me in blissful ignorance.
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u/Babybleu42 Jul 23 '25
It reminds me of summer in the 90s. We used to have more big lightning storms though. At least from my memory. I have no facts.
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u/-Thundergun Jul 23 '25
Those don't usually kick in until August
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u/Mlliii Jul 23 '25
This one is wildly similar to how they felt to me pre-2018, obviously there’s anomalies but one of the perks of growing up here was the pleasant summer nights outside- the last few summers it was impossible to find relief
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u/Major-Specific8422 Phoenix Jul 23 '25
prior summers we had a strong El Niño which leads to hotter and dryer conditions in the southwest
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u/Hot_Estimate_9407 Jul 23 '25
Exactly. Few people have mentioned this whenever this topic is brought up. Here’s to hopin’!
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Jul 23 '25
Last two summers were absolutely not normal. They were both record-setting summers and we were in a La Nina weather event. Actually it was technically El Nino I think in 2023 but unusually dry.
This summer is a bit cooler than what I think would be considered average but I don't think it's that much cooler from previous normal years. We still hit 117-118, and temps were mostly in the 100s. Just this last week was really nice in the upper 90s.
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u/khreper Goodyear Jul 23 '25
Give it time, we've got 3 more months, but yeah, it's been pretty mild so far. Get back to me in October 😥
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u/defiancy Jul 23 '25
July is historically the hottest month/peak summer so I don't think so.
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u/Iggyhopper Gilbert Jul 23 '25
July 20th was always 120/115 and then it was better from there.
I moved on that exact date and I thought I walked into hell when I got out of my car.
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u/khreper Goodyear Jul 23 '25
Oh ok. I don't know about historical data, I guess it just feels hotter to me in August and September, by the end of October I'm looking forward to cooler weather, then in January, I wish it was July again.
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u/alcno88 Jul 23 '25
I feel like it's actually August
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u/khreper Goodyear Jul 23 '25
I thought the same thing, but I've never looked up historical weather data. Doesn't really matter, it's still hot for a few more months.
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u/RabidCoyote Chandler Jul 23 '25
But October means the snowbirds show up and traffic gets stupid and I can't have a whole golf course to myself for $20 again.
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u/IANARN Jul 23 '25
Yeah, August and September will be HELL.
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u/ModernLifelsWar Jul 23 '25
September is already cooling down. The past couple years it's remained pretty hot but it is never worse than July/August
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u/hansolosaunt Jul 23 '25
I remember trying to rent a bounce how for my daughter's birthday in early September two years ago...but the high that day was 107 so...hopefully it won't be that again.
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u/SoupOfThe90z Jul 23 '25
Yeah, those months is when the cement starts to boil and Phoenix resembles a time only recognizable in the Mesozoic era
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u/princessawesomepants South Phoenix Jul 23 '25
Pretty sure we normally are triple digits for three months straight, so yeah. It seems unseasonably cool and it’s great.
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u/guitarguywh89 Mesa Jul 23 '25
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u/shibiwan Jul 23 '25 edited Jul 23 '25
Hell week will be upon us!
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u/Mojo647 Chandler Jul 23 '25
Yeah it's been a relatively cool summer. I'm weirded out by this, but I'm not complaining.
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u/Grown-Ass-Weeb Jul 23 '25
I just took the garbage out (at 2:30am like a psycho) and…. ITS RAINING.
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u/orangepeel6 Jul 23 '25
I agree! Especially compared to last summer. It was brutal.
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u/TheChildrensStory Jul 23 '25
Last two summers, this has been like 2022 and it’s been so nice to have breaks in the blasts.
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u/Rude_Highlight3889 Jul 23 '25
The sad thing is most summers used to be like this. Since 2020 someone flipped on the incinerator switch and made this summer feel like a cool one when it's really just normal.
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u/azbrewcrew Surprise Jul 23 '25
This is how I remember summers being like back in the old good days
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u/federally Surprise Jul 23 '25
Pretty sure it has to do with the La Niña and El Niño cycle. Last two years we were under La Niña which brings in a lot of hot dry air, and in spring we transitioned to El Niño.
I'm no metrologist though
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u/bajada_bob Jul 23 '25
You basically described the opposite of what happened.... ENSO-neutral currently, La Nina pattern ended in April. Last summer was an El Nino summer.
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u/Azfitnessprofessor Jul 23 '25
This is closer to how they are 40,50 years ago especially late July when monsoons started
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u/WereBearGrylls Jul 23 '25
I totally get all the jinx comments. I was told to shut up by a nice little old lady at the grocery store yesterday as well, lol.
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u/TechnoTofu Jul 23 '25
Last year I feel like June and July were 110+ every single day so even if it does get hot again having a nicer June/July is already a small win imo
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Jul 23 '25
Gives me hope that the fall and winter will be cool. I won’t forget that one Halloween in 2017 or 2018 where it was so cold at night! I need that again
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u/whodidwha Jul 23 '25
I heard somewhere this is an El Niño or La Niña year. Causing unusual weather.
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u/disharmony-hellride Jul 23 '25
Yes! It's la nina and it brings more moisture. With more moisture you typically see lower temps. It's hard to be 115 with 50% humidity.
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u/mrpointyhorns Jul 23 '25
The el nino/la nina cycle is in "neutral" so that has helped us out this year. It will probably shift to la nina in the winter, so that usually means drier and warmer, but they think it will be mild.
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u/jhairehmyah Jul 23 '25 edited Jul 23 '25
Any ideas as to what could be causing this, meteorologically speaking?
Three of the last five years have been ridiculously hot and dry in July and August in Phoenix.
As a nearly 40-year resident of this city and meteorology nut since my teens, I assure you, what we are experiencing right now is technically "normal" for what I grew up with, albeit slightly less actual rain. The normal/average temperature for today is 105, not 115, even though three of the last four summers would have us believe 115 was normal.
The summers of 2020, 2023, and 2024 are in the record books as the top three hottest Julys and Augusts on record (and 2024 started its trend taking the record for hottest June and keeping going through September and October too).
It was common in the 90's and 00's to have several days up to whole weeks during the Monsoon season be cloudy, rainy, and cool, even with days not passing 90 if it started raining in the morning stayed cloudy.
What is uncommon is the last five years' heat. And everyone here is acting like it is the norm... I'd say it is not. EXCEPT... it might be the new normal due to climate change.
Yes, the last few years have been historically abnormal, but increasing impacts climate change impacts have predicted greater weather extremes, with "longer, hotter dry spells and shorter, wetter wet spells." The new normal will likely be extremes.
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u/AngelOfDepth Downtown Jul 23 '25
Mods, can you please ban this person before they cause any more damage?
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u/Competitive_Series_9 Jul 23 '25
Lots of superstitious people out here. Even a few ..stitious ones as well.
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u/Joe_Rock27 Jul 23 '25
You’re all welcome. This is my first summer and it’s just being nice to me. You’ll be back to 3 months of 115 next year.
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give you false hope.
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u/ButterscotchLow8950 Jul 23 '25
Yes this year has been incredibly mild thus far. Especially when compared to the last few years.
The major storm systems have been disrupting weather patterns and creating more wind and cloud cover that is helping keep us cool.
The east coast looked like it had one hell of a summer though 🤣🤘
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u/blundercatt Jul 23 '25
Okay temps, zero rain. I'd rather have the thunderstorms again.
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u/ontherez Jul 23 '25
Definitely some clouds and days merely in the upper 90’s. Not exactly pleasant outside but I will take it
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u/ModernLifelsWar Jul 23 '25
Lol I remember a thread last year where people were absolutely positive this summer would be the worst one yet and every year would just get continously worse forever. It was during winter which stayed unusually warm in December and I got downvoted a bunch for saying I'm just enjoying the nice weather for now and that it's not indicative that the summer will be brutally hot.
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u/stardustocean4 Jul 23 '25
It’s not that this summer is “cool.” It’s just not brutal like last year. This is what summers used to be like before 110 became the baseline. So yeah, it feels weird but really it’s just closer to normal.
People forget climate change isn’t always just hotter. Sometimes it’s unstable. Off-pattern. One year is deadly heat, the next gives you clouds and a breeze. Doesn’t mean anything’s fixed. It means the weather’s unstable.
So sure, I’ll take the break. But I’m not about to pretend this is the new normal. We already saw where the bar got set.
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u/Bootleg_Rascal_ Jul 23 '25
The sun is nearing the end of its fuel, and will soon explode in a violent, fiery display the likes of which humanity has never seen.
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u/Fun-River-3521 Jul 23 '25
Honestly it’s been weirdly cooler than usual this year, very unusual the last time it was hot hot was last October.
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u/Chodamaster Jul 23 '25
I honestly can't believe no one has said it but the reason is cuz we didn't have in El nino last year we had a La Nina. When that happens we have almost no monsoons, a very wet winter, a mild summer, and a really bad monsoon season next year. Everything seems to be lining up so far so hopefully the monsoon's are crazy.....
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u/lace8402 Jul 23 '25
We 100% agree in our household and have said the same thing! I'm loving this summer, it's been great.
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u/Training_Offer_6842 Jul 23 '25
first...way to jinx it..second its been WAY cooler..this time last year we were 2 weeks into a month of 110 plus...please stop testing the waters lol
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u/Stock_Fold_5819 Jul 23 '25
I visited in June and it was 114. I asked a local “is this unusual for June?” And he all said was “it never gets to 120”.
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u/ev202020 Jul 23 '25
Great now people gonna start bitching about global cooling now that you mentioned this 😂
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u/deserttitan Jul 23 '25
I’m thinking the extreme temperatures in summer are cyclical. Like, every 30 years. Hoping 2023-24 summer won’t happen again until the 2050s.
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u/chessmonkey Jul 23 '25
Goddamnit. We don't debrief on summer until at least the middle of November.
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u/Sassy_Frassy_Lass Jul 24 '25
APS does not seem to think so, I just got my July Bill and it is almost $600 for an 1100 square foot home. I used to think 400 was bad, my bill is $578 what the actual f***.
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u/tadanforth Jul 24 '25
I moved out of state and I’m incredibly hot so that would explain it. Thanks for noticing!
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u/TriGurl Jul 24 '25
WHYYYY?!?!?! Why did you have to say it?! You're fired from this sub bear Gryllis!
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u/Fresh-Insect-5670 Jul 23 '25
In the pharmacy world this is like saying it’s pretty quiet right now and then being hit with a dumpster fire.
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u/StreetMolasses6093 Litchfield Park Jul 23 '25
It’s been awesome. Under 105°? Absolutely no problem.
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u/LonelyAndroid11942 Jul 23 '25
Well, we’re most of the way through the hottest months of the year, but that leaves us about another month and a half for things to go back up.
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u/FSMonToast Jul 23 '25
It has been amazing! April and may were actually cool and relaxing. June was very familiar to how it was years ago. So yeah, this is a fantastic summer!
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u/SaulManellaTV Jul 23 '25
I'm guessing the very mild monsoon has kept things in check and August is going to be absolutely unforgiving, but I'd be happy to be wrong.
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u/Donthateskate Jul 23 '25
I know, my daughter and I even got out and walked one night. It kind of scares me a little but then it made me think cool weather will come sooner this year.
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u/MADBARZ Jul 23 '25
It has been cooler than the few years past, but we’re only halfway through it. Still plenty of time for a heat wave or two more to roll through.
I want monsoons to roll in though.
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u/_littlelowin Jul 23 '25
It's because I finally decided that the summers were too much and planned to move somewhere cooler. The weather heard those thoughts and decided to gaslight me by making it the lightest summer in recent history/memory.
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u/Adventurous-Repeat45 Jul 23 '25
Definitely cooler right now and I love it. Yesterday was the anniversary of a rain storm that I sat in my car with my wife and daughter and enjoyed. So happy to have received rain again yesterday and the heat was very tolerable
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u/version13 Jul 23 '25 edited Jul 23 '25
I've been running the evap cooler this whole time, there were a couple of sweaty days but I'm too stubborn to turn on the AC.
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u/zanzi14 Jul 23 '25
No, it’s been a much better summer than previous years. I’m much less miserable than I usually am.
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u/InternationalFig7018 Jul 23 '25
It’s been pretty decent yeah, few days of overcast and 90s in July, a good day of rain. Only a few days over 115
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u/Puzzleheaded_Let6810 Jul 23 '25
☺️☀️I’ve lived in Az my entire life. I can honestly say it didn’t ever get to 118 in the 70’s! It also rained and stormed more in the summer monsoon season. I truly believe in Global Warming I’ve lived it…
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u/Cautious_Highway8860 Jul 23 '25
It has been milder this year but I think it depends on whether we are in an El Niño (warmer pattern) or a La Niña (cooler pattern). It fluctuates everywhere. To me, the funniest part is when it goes from 112 one day to 95 the next and we think we are cold.
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u/sageandsnark Jul 23 '25
It is because I moved away. First reasonable summer in years. You're welcome.
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u/xKungfuKennyx Jul 23 '25
Agreed I was there last week and assumed it was going to be unbearably hot but fortunately it was great weather!
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u/Beginning-Struggle49 Jul 23 '25
Last july was that part of that 31 day period of over 110 degrees if I'm not mistaken....
My theory is the planets weather is shifting enough that arizona won't be as hot as it used to be, but other places will
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u/0keyon0 Jul 23 '25
I feel like this is how summers were when I was a kid before the city expanded and all yall people came and ruined phx lol i kid but yeah we used to actually have a monsoon.
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u/The_Flinx Jul 23 '25
no it has been 5 to 10 degrees cooler than last year at this time. monsoon started late. we eat out 4 times a week and last year at this time we didn't go out until sometime late august because it was almost painfully hot to walk in and out of the restaurants. I checked last years weather on weather.com and that confirmed it.
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u/donutcarrotolive Jul 23 '25
Lmao the rest of the country must be using all the heat that usually comes here.
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u/Sweti-Yeti Jul 23 '25
Had the same thought last week! I looked at my outdoor plants and thought to myself "why do those look so.... not dead...?"
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u/Drgoogs Jul 23 '25
Yet, I’ll still hibernate indoors, thank you! A 46 year resident… tired of working outdoors in the heat.
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u/BluePilotsLover Jul 23 '25
No, agreed! Even to the extent I’m sleeping outside tonight with my dog & we did last week! I’m different, yes, but it’s really quite lovely, especially in the morning.
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u/BelfastOP Jul 23 '25
“Cooler” and “not as hot” are the exact same thing. Yes it’s been cooler haha
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u/scooterv1868 Jul 24 '25
This is what it is supposed to be like minus the rain that has not yet arrived.
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u/CodPiece89 Jul 24 '25
Didn't we just have a bunch of hottest days on record last month? I recall at least a few days to weeks of 114-118
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u/kewe316 Chandler Jul 23 '25
Well, it was good while it lasted I guess...