We all know this summer has been hot — and dry. July was the hottest month on record here, with 31 days over 110 degrees.

Bridget Dowd/KJZZ

A Southwest Airlines flight takes off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023.

The official rainfall at Sky Harbor International Airport remained at 0.01 this weekend, when Hurricane Hilary failed to bring measurable rain. However, not all of the Valley has been dry this summer. In fact, some parts have gotten downright drenched during scattered monsoon storms. And, many parts of the Valley were significantly cooler than that 110 degree marker through July. 

So, why is the official record — taken at Sky Harbor — hotter and drier than many other parts of the Valley?

We’ve gotten a lot of emails from listeners this summer complaining about exactly that. So, we decided to find out. 

The Show spoke to state climatologist Erinanne Saffel and began with a little Phoenix weather history. 

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