How ‘amazing’ it would be for Phoenix to see 100 degrees in March
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — So being a meteorologist I’m naturally into numbers and Tuesday with a chance we’ll get to 100 degrees at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport presents some fun numbers, both in the record book and how “difficult” it is to get to 100 degrees this time of year.
First off, it’s only been done once since 1896, the year weather readings became “official” around Phoenix. The date was March 26, 1988, and it surprised us all. Yes, I was working at 3TV then. I can’t remember the forecast but I’m pretty sure we were talking mid-90s. Then suddenly it was 100. The main weather person did a live shot from a pool and proceeded to dive in at the end of the broadcast. I have not, nor ever will, go swimming on a live shot. Not that it’s a bad thing. It’s just not my thing.
Here’s why it will be amazing if we get to 100 degrees on Tuesday. First, while we’re super used to it in the summer, those days are so much longer. Tuesday we’ll have 12 hours and 16 minutes of sunlight. On July 1, we get more than 14 hours of sun.
The temperature will have to rise further as well. We’re forecasting lows in the mid-60s at Sky Harbor Airport, which means the temperature will have to rise about 35 degrees to get to 100. Certainly it’s possible, of course, since we have it in the forecast. The daily temperature change is called the diurnal change and in Phoenix, the average daily temperature change this time of year is 23 degrees. In June, it’s 25 degrees. So just on average, it would be quite a feat.
And there’s the sun angle. On Tuesday, the sun will be at about 60 degrees above the southern horizon at noon. In July, the sun is basically overhead.
Finally, the earliest ever 100 degrees was set in a different location at Sky Harbor airport when the weather equipment was located just west of what was Terminal One along Buckeye Road. That’s the so-called “warm” location because it’s also where we set our all-time daily record of 122 degrees. The current location of the weather instruments is on the south side of the airport, not far from the Salt River bed.
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