Temperature in tucson arizona9/21/2023 ![]() His cash register features monuments to Tucsonans’ endurance: pumps covered in mineral deposits like hoary stalagmites, cooler pads transformed into blocks of concrete, each caked with mineral debris that slowed the evaporative cooler until it stopped. The sooner they can get the parts they need, the more time they have to work against the rapidly increasing heat. Some have spent the night with broken evaporative coolers and could not sleep. Then, the resourceful go to parts stores.Ĭustomers fill the parking lot at Arizona Maintenance, waiting for Aribal Benitez to open shop. Instead, many Tucsonans nurse their systems along, replacing or repairing parts as necessary. Proactive measures help some Tucsonans avoid that uncomfortable position, but can cost hundreds of dollars a year. Even keeping your thermostat at 80, your system is going to be running a lot during this time of year.”Įxtra runtime means systems are apt to break down when Tucsonans rely on them most. But, on top of the extreme heat, you have a lot of run time on these systems. “You have extreme heat out here, which beats these units up. “Maintenance out here is crucial,” Law says of his work. They cast a look in Law’s direction like they’re happy to be heading indoors, then close the curtains. Two pale elderly women pull their golf cart into the garage across the street. He looks like the world’s sweatiest orthodontist, working delicately with a thin nozzle of fire. The birds and mosquitoes have joined Law in the side yard. He pulls into the driveway and turns off the van’s frigid air conditioning before unloading heavy equipment next to the condenser he will replace – a five-hour operation he can trim down to three with good planning.Īt 6am, the temperature breaks 80F (26C). The closer I am to money, the more likely it’ll be that I get there,” he says. “Working in these better-off areas, I can see what is possible. When asked about his goals, he replies: “I want to work less and make more money.” On a later job, he takes a short break to admire a client’s massive truck and daydream about a toy hauler. Law likes his job, and is good at it, but hopes to one day move into sales. ![]() Other technicians keep icy coolers in the backs of their vans and drink Gatorade or Pedialyte to keep their electrolytes up.Ī city of Tucson worker covering himself from the sun while working outside. “My wife loves the sunglasses tan.” He wears a blue cotton T-shirt with sleeves to his wrists to protect him from the sun and sips from the jumbo Hydro Flask his wife got him. “Only the hands and the face, though,” he says. He starts his days early – 3am – in a race against soaring temperatures.Īround 5am, Law arrives at the upscale planned community of Saddle Brooke, where he is greeted by white hairs in neon, walking their dogs.Īt 28, Law has spent most of his adult years outside. The headlights belong to Taylor Law, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician, on his way to replace a condenser. One pair of lights edges against the engulfing black of Pusch Ridge, a granite leviathan on the north side of town. Leaving town on the highway, darkness stretches out between drivers and twinkling civilization. To cash in, these technicians endure hours of exposure every day.Īt 4.30am, the sky is dark over Tucson. Even so, the city is growing as people get priced out of California.įor the thousands of registered contractors in Tucson, business is booming. Air conditioning units, evaporative coolers and roofs are breaking down faster than ever before. While many Tucsonans have adapted to increasingly hot summers, the materials of our homes and comfort have not. By 2050, Tucson is projected to feel like 105F (40C) or higher for more than a third of the year. The independent climate research organization recently labeled Tucson the “harbinger” of dangerous increases in heat and humidity since 1970 the city has seen the second largest increase of days that feel over 100F (37C). “We had a guy that passed away under a tree in front of Walgreens from the heat just a couple weeks ago,” he says. John Soland, a salesman at a cooler parts store, sees people come in for parts and for shelter. But as summers get more intense, people who work outdoors, those on a low income and the elderly face imminent peril. ![]() If you’re lucky enough to have an office job and a robust air conditioning system, your discomfort will be limited to the walk through a parking lot. Not all Tucsonans stand equal in the face of heat. ![]()
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