Sincerely, Miss Canada

Friday, May 20, 2005

Some notes on Heat


I made the mistake of checking the weather today. May 20th, and already hitting the triple digits. In fact, calling for 112F this weekend. I'm reminded of a note I wrote home during my first summer here. Egoistically, I believe it bears repeating:

[17 June 2003] Some Notes on Heat

Daytime temperatures (8am-10pm) in Phoenix at this time of year routinely hit 110F/43C. Temperatures can reach over 120F/49C. Phoenix recorded 121F on July 28th, 1995.

Where most cities in the desert drop 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit at night, Phoenix does not drop past about 90F/32C because there is so much concrete.

Body temperature is 98.6F/37C.

Things, especially metal things, get to be about the same temperature as their surroundings (can be hotter in the sun). Much hotter than your body temperature. So things burn you. Like your car keys. Car bumpers in a parking lot. Metal parts on your watch. I have to take my watch off once temperatures get over 100F/38C.

The interior of your car is an oven. Literally. Emmanuelle and I baked play-doh on my dashboard. The steering wheel can get as hot as 159F/71C (this is the temperature at which your ground beef is cooked), The dashboard can get up to 181F/83C. Chicken is done at this temperature.

Deserts were not made for inhabiting.

Check current Phoenix weather here.

1 Comments:

Blogger JDsg said...

For your car, get a sheepskin-type steering wheel cover so you won't burn your hands off.

Listen to Stu Tracy (Ch. 5) for weather, if he's still around. He was always a hoot. Anything below 110 was "warm." Between 111 and 115 was "very warm," and over 115 was "hot."

9/08/2005 9:17 a.m.

 

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