What are Summers Really Like in Fountain Hills?

This is my 7th summer in Fountain Hills and my husband and I have pretty much adapted to the climate here after living in the midwest for many years and truthfully I can say it isn’t so bad. It doesn’t matter if it is 108, 111, or 118, it all feels the same and it is hot!! There are times when we say to each other, wow only 102 today, what a relief! Ha

I don’t know if I could survive without a swimming pool! For those of you that don’t live here full time, you may not be familiar with what pool water is like at this time of year. Unfortunately it can be far from refreshing if you go later in the day, it feels like bath water. I usually go to the pool early in the mornings when the water is cooler at about 87 degrees. Having an pool aerator spraying water in the pool really helps keep the water cooler.

Trying to get cold water from the faucet is also next to impossible. It’s best to stock up your fridge with jugs of water or get yourself the 5 gallon bottles and a cold water dispenser from the “Water and Ice” store here in town. Drinking lots of water in this heat sounds like a no brainer but you would be surprised how quickly you can become dehydrated. I never leave home without my water and I also make sure to have a cooler of  bottled water in my car for my clients when showing homes.

Something else I find quite interesting are the monsoon storms. Before 2008 the monsoon season started when there were three consecutive days when the dew point averaged 55 degrees or higher. In 2008 the National Weather Service decided to take the guesswork out of monsoon start and end dates and decided that June 15 would be the start and Sept 30 would be the end date. Surprisingly the humidity can climb fairly high (50-60%) at this time of year considering the rest of the year is relatively low humidity.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first moved here from the Midwest. I had visions of tumbleweeds rolling down the streets, but of course it is nothing like that. It’s almost surreal to me when you see the haboob rolling in across the mountains, but they are not to be taken lightly as they can cause major damage, much like a tornado. Also during severe rain storms, the washes, underpasses, and areas around large storm drains can flow fast and deep enough to pick up an automobile and carry it downstream although I have yet to see this in Fountain Hills.

People from out of town often ask me how I deal with the summers here in Arizona. Honestly, I lived in Illinois for most of my life and the hot humid summers, with the mosquitoes, was 10 times worse than it is here.  I would much rather put up with 4 months of heat and dust and look forward to 8 months of perfect weather with endless sunshine.

I guess every place has its quirks and you just have to decide what you can live with and what you can’t.

Below are a few pictures I took last year as my husband and I watched the dust storm rolling in. I have yet to see any this year.

I live and work in Fountain Hills and I absolutely love it! I would love to share my knowledge of this unique community and all it has to offer. Feel free to call or email me anytime to get more info about the place that I love to call home!

Take a look at some available pool homes for sale in Fountain Hills