2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Steve Nielsen)
Businesses that rely on foot traffic and outdoor experiences aren't so worried anymore as Arizona is turning a corner in its brutal heatwave. Arizona saw dozens of days worth of record high temps this year. PHOENIX - It feels like we’re turning the page on summer overnight in Arizona .
You can pull the windbreakers and lightweight sweaters out of the closet. Residents weren’t the only ones waiting and hoping for the triple digits to end. The hospitality industry has a lot at stake.
The long summer isn’t just hard on us, hard on our air conditioning units, and hard on our sunscreen, it’s also hard on a lot of businesses when it takes so long to cool down. Pouring beers for just a year now, Catalyst Crafted Ales in Tempe has just started to build a loyal following. "We have a lot of good locals starting to come around," said John Webber of Catalyst Crafted Ales.
The top seller: Paradise Valley IPA. The best seats in the house may be on the patio, but not when the summer sun is out. "It’s a great open area where we can handle multiple people," Webber said.
Finally, some good news on the weather front. FOX 10's Ashlie Rodriguez chats with NWS Meteorologist Gabriel Lojero about this week's cool down across the state. As summer turned to fall , the weather never seemed to get better and those patio seats remained empty for longer than expected.
"When it’s 100 plus degrees, nobody wants to go outside. I know I want to stay inside, so it’s been difficult," Webber said. Resorts like the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess said it got creative to make sure outdoor spaces can still be used.
"We have portable misters that we can roll literally anywhere. They have their own self-contained tanks. We work with our guests and clients, and it’s a combined decision.
We tell them everything we can do to make their stay comfortable," said Chris White of Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. We’re finally turning a corner this week when being outside isn’t so oppressive. "Certainly, when the weather gets more accessible there are more things people can do outside," White said.
What a summer this was. Phoenix had 70 days this summer above 110 degrees, shattering the record. From late September to mid-October, we set 21 consecutive heat records.
"This summer has definitely been a longer heat wave than we’d normally expect," Webber said. "The sunshine, the ability to be outside, is just such a blessing," White said. For businesses waiting for a boom of customers, they might finally get it now that the sun is only delivering sun rays, and not sunburns.
To show you how important the weather is to our economy in Arizona, just a few short weeks ago, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess was only 20% full. This week, it's at 97%..
