• How to survive winter in Arizona.
  • When the rest of the country laughed at 100+ degree summer weather, they forgot our winter is better here.
  • How we try to make do in the deep winter of Arizona.

How to Survive Winter in Arizona: Hint, It's Not That Hard

Remember June and July when the rest of the country pointed and laughed at Arizona? They sneered, "How can you live in 100-degree heat every day? That's crazy!"

Well, this is how.

As we laugh in our sassy Arizona font, the rest of the country is currently digging out of feet of snow. I had a conversation with a friend who lives back East*She told me she had to shovel her driveway out twice in one day.

Shovel out the driveway twice in one day? We would never dream of it in Arziona. // Canva
Shovel out the driveway twice in one day? We would never dream of it in Arziona. // Canva
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That was the same day I went to the Farmer's Market. While talking to a few vendors who'd opted to skip the EZ-Up, I began to worry if I was getting a sunburn. The 70-plus-degree weather was toastier than I'd expected.

See Also: Phoenix Sets New Record for 100-Degree Days

Contrast By Degrees: Arizona vs. "Back East"

First of all, let’s talk about the weather.

I just checked. Today in Phoenix, the high will be about 76, with a low temperature of around 52 degrees. Cochise County will be a little less warm. Grab your sweater because it'll only be 72 today.

winter weather belongs in the Midwest not in Arizona
This kind of winter weather is better back east. // Canva
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Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., the nation’s capital, it’s a frigid 31 degrees, with a low of 22 and a 95% chance of precipitation. As I write this, there's even a winter weather advisory warning of 2 to 4 inches of snow, slippery road conditions, and hazardous travel.

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Ouch. That doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

Trying Not to Laugh in Arizona

I think the Germans express this feeling best with the word SchadenfreudeWikipedia explains that this word literally means harm-joy.

Schadenfreude is the experience of pleasure, joy, or self-satisfaction that comes from learning of or witnessing the troubles, failures, pain, or humiliation of another.

Oof. When you put it that way, it sounds so harsh. Seriously, though, I'll take 100-degree heat over -10 below zero temperatures any time of the year.

What even is this??? In Arizona, we have no idea. // Canva
What even is this??? In Arizona, we have no idea. // Canva
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But Yeah, We're Laughing in Arizona

To put it another way, this is essentially how we laugh in Arizona

When our relatives back east* in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Minneapolis complain about lake-effect snow, we don our flip-flops, grab our sunscreen, and take pictures of the clear, beautiful mountains so we're ready to gloat on our social media pages.

You might catch us pool side in the dead of winter in Arizona.
You might catch us pool side in the dead of winter in Arizona. // Canva
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Just to prove it really is better in Arizona.

*Back East = Anywhere East of the Mississippi as defined by Val.

Don't Move Here! 11 Reasons You'll Hate Living in Arizona!

Arizona is full of things the average person isn't used to living with. Sunny days? We get around 300 a year. Nice people? Who could possibly stand that?

Don't move to Arizona if you don't like these things. Trust us. You'll hate it.

Gallery Credit: Val Davidson

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

LOOK: Unique baby names from the year you were born

Stacker highlighted one of the least-used baby names from each year between 1950 and 2022, using data from the Social Security Administration.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

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