Phoenix made international headlines for unusually high temperatures this month, but much of the coverage failed to provide full context. The media reported temperatures as high as 105°F based on temperature readings at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, with Martinez Lake, 145 miles west of Phoenix, reaching 110°F. Many articles said this was due to manmade global warming.
However, the all-time high at the airport remains 122°F from 1990. One weather forecaster found in June 2017 that while the airport’s nighttime low was 81°F, just 5.5 miles away Arizona State University’s grassy campus in Tempe was 12 degrees cooler at 69°F.
Phoenix is located in a desert, so temperatures above 100°F are common. Martinez Lake is one of the hottest parts of Arizona.
The alarming temperatures reported by the media for Phoenix are taken at the airport, which is known as a “concrete jungle” due to the pavement, lack of greenery and heat exhaust from airplanes. It routinely runs 3–5°F hotter than other Valley areas during the day, and up to 5–10°F hotter than outlying suburbs like south Chandler or Queen Creek. Phoenix has one of the world’s largest urban heat island (UHI) effects: up to a 10–14°F difference between the airport and rural spots like Wickenburg, Queen Creek, Casa Grande or Maricopa.
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