Michelle Marisco/KJZZ
Arizona is known for its extreme heat, but the much higher elevation in the northern part of the state means it has some of the coldest temperatures in the country, sometimes even dropping in the same day.
finished KJZZ’s Q&AZ projectListeners noticed that Arizona recorded both the highest and lowest temperatures on the same day across the continental United States and asked if this was a fluke of one day or a regular occurrence.
This high-low phenomenon is quite rare in other parts of the United States, but it is fairly common in Arizona. It is due to the desert climate and dramatic elevation changes.
At more than 12,000 feet above sea level, northern Arizona can experience some of the coldest temperatures in the nation when cities such as Phoenix and Yuma experience extreme heat.
Matei Jorzecu is the Director of ASU’s Urban Climate Research Center. he says, “There is a very extreme difference in elevation, which results in a very extreme temperature difference. This is not the case in many other US states. ”
The most recent high and low day in Arizona was May 29, when the temperature gauge hit 101 degrees in Phoenix and dropped to 26 degrees in Coconino County.
