Phoenix is among the most populated cities of the United States, and
Arizona's most populated city. It serves as the capital of Arizona and has broken the record of being the only state capital holding more than one million residents in population. Coupling up as the seat of Maricopa County, Phoenix is the anchor of the multicity region known as the Valley of the Sun or officially the Phoenix Metropolitan area.
Phoenix is home to stunning top-notch spa resorts, sprawling golf courses designed in the Jack Nicklaus theme, and a very vibrant nightlife experienced throughout its many clubhouses and discos.
Visitors love touring the Arizona Science Center to learn about Phoenix's history, the Sonoran Desert to learn about the indigenous saguaro cactus, and the famous iconic Chase Tower from which the entire magnificent city below can be viewed.
The climate of Phoenix is typical of the hot desert climate of Köppen classification BWh. The general weather is characteristic of hot, humid summers and mild, highly tolerable winters. Because of the location of Phoenix, it receives the highest amount of sunshine on earth, a high percentage of daylight hours, and it is one of the largest cities that are located in its climatic zone.
Summer is extremely hot. A typical hot summer day records temperature between 106.3°F (41.3°C) and 115.3°F (46.3°C) during the day and between 70.2°F (21.2°C) and 84.7°F (29.3°C) at night! Rainfall is rare during summer, with the rain gauge only collecting approximately 0.7" (17.8mm) from only a few hours of light rain per month.
Autumn remains hot, with a daily mean temperature of 77.5°F (25.3°C). Most of the days are dry, with only minimal light showers of rainfall on select afternoons. Fall is beautiful throughout
November, as crowds begin to venture outdoors with the cooling of the summer heat.
Winter ranges from
December through
February and is characterized by mild and dry days. The temperature averages between 78.4°F (25.8°C) and 83.5°F (28.6°C) during the days and between 45.7°F (7.6°C) and 50.2°F (10.1°C) on most nights. The nights may feel hot, because the heat that was absorbed by the pavements and stone walks during the day is released at night, making it feel warm and tolerable beneath.
Snowfall has gradually ceased in Phoenix, and today, only traces can be seen before quickly melting away as the sun rises to shine for up to eight and a half hours per day. Rainfall in winter is moderately low, and the rainiest months of the season,
January and February, only manage to collect 0.9" (22.9mm) of precipitation approximately.
Spring is warm and pleasant, with a daily mean temperature of 76.3°F (24.6°C) in the early days, before getting hotter with the nearing of summer.
Phoenix can be visited anytime during the year, but most visitors are recorded between December and
May. During this period, the extreme summer heat will have cooled considerably, and most days remain warm, pleasant, and moderately dry.
The Phoenix Open professional golf tournament is held between January and February, and it attracts participation from far and wide. The Arizona State Fair in
October and the Arizona National Livestock Show in December are some of the most-attended events in Phoenix.