Sizzle and sweat

Not a dry heat

25-Jul-06. Ever since moving to the desert I have steadfastly insisted that the heat "isn't that bad," especially if you don't think about it. My neighbor, Wanda, thinks about it constantly, and she is, as a result, just miserable from May to September.

This summer, however, has tested my resolve. So far this month, temperatures have reached over 110°F on 17 of 24 days. New highs have been set four times so far this month (see table below). And with lows in the upper 80s and low 90s, there haven't been a lot of cool desert breezes to enjoy at night. Most important, it has not been a "dry heat." Humidity has often been high, making any trip to the outdoors equivalent to entering a steam bath.

Palm Springs High/Low Temperatures, July 2006

Date	High	Low	Record High	Record Low
1	111	86	118 / 1967	58 / 1933
2	109	85	119 / 1985	54 / 1979
3	106	86	118 / 2001	54 / 1935
4	107	86	120 / 1989	58 / 1956
5	104	82	120 / 1931	55 / 1978
6	109	80	119 / 1942	58 / 1946
7	109	81	117 / 1976	59 / 1935
8	111	83	119 / 1958	61 / 1935
9	114	88	120 / 1958	60 / 1936
10	111	80	123 / 1979	60 / 1979
11	112	80	121 / 1958	59 / 1936
12	113	76	120 / 1985	60 / 1947
13	116	80	120 / 2005	56 / 1932
14	116	85	119 / 2003	64 / 1966
15	118	85	118 / 2006	61 / 1940
16	110	80	120 / 1998	57 / 1940
17	103	82	120 / 2005	56 / 1940
18	110	85	120 / 1947	59 / 1940
19	112	85	119 / 1978	59 / 1932
20	113	89	118 / 1978	63 / 1940
21	120	91	120 / 2006	60 / 1978
22	121	93	121 / 2006	61 / 1957
23	116	92	116 / 2006	59 / 1957
24	113	91	120 / 1928	62 / 1958