Comments on: Question regarding Flagstaff, AZ and Phoenix, AZ climate difference?

By: kaibab100

kaibab100 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:45:59 +0000

It is all about ALTITUDE

Flagstaff is at nearly 7000 feet elevation
Phoenix is at about 1100 feet.

That makes a huge difference–a vertical difference of one mile.
References :

By: Marko

Marko — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:40:59 +0000

Phoenix is located at 1100ft above sea level, and Flagstaff is located 6900ft

5800ft difference, roughly for every 1000ft you go higher the air cools by about 5.4 degrees F.

so 5.8*5.4= 31.3 degrees
flagstaff is typically 31degrees colder than phoenix. And if you actually look at the temperature statistics its true.

Higher altitudes are colder because the air is thinner (there is less of it) and the less air there is the less heat it can hold. This is why even high mountains near the equator get snow, and why flagstaff is so much colder than phoenix,
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona#Climate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix,_Arizona#Climate

By: Reginald

Reginald — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:59:59 +0000

The biggest cause of the different climates is the difference in elevation of the two cities.
Phoenix has an elevation of 1100-1200 feet above sea level and is located in relatively flat
desert country. Flagstaff, about 100 or so miles to the north, is over 7000 feet above sea
level and is in the mountains, This higher elevation will give Flagstaff a noticeably cooler
climate almost all the time.
References :
I have been there