March 22, 2004
Mel Meléndez
The Arizona Republic

Valley residents scrambled to find ways to remain cool over the weekend during record-breaking temperatures that left residents repeating the same question: "What happened to spring?"

"We were really looking forward to that 70-degree weather, but it never came," said Teresa Snyder, who sought shade with her family during the Sunday on Central street fair in Phoenix. "We went straight to 90, which is a real shame."

Straight to 90 and then some.

Phoenix reached official highs of 95 degrees Saturday and 97 degrees on Sunday. Parts of the East Valley hit 97 degrees and sections of the West Valley reached 98 Saturday afternoon. March temperatures typically hover in the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service in Tempe.

"We broke the Sunday (Phoenix) record by 11 a.m., which is pretty early in the day to break a record high," meteorologist Bob Berkovitz said. The previous record had been 93 degrees, set in 2002.

"So this heat means business. We definitely skipped spring this year," Berkovitz said.

The region will receive some relief, with temperatures gradually dipping to the low 80s by Friday, forecasters said. But don't expect mid to upper 80s temperatures until Wednesday.

Ironically, Saturday marked the official start of spring. But you wouldn't know it in the Valley, where families sought out pools, water parks or air-conditioned venues.
In Mesa, Darren and Tana Robillard and their two sons rushed to Golfland-SunSplash, which opened five of its popular water slides for spring break. The water park will open all of its attractions, including Thunder Bay, a 450,000-gallon wave pool, and its 800-foot-long Endless River ride, on Memorial Day weekend.

The Robillards arrived early Sunday to scoot down the Three Dragon Tails water slides.

"The water is a little cold," Tana said. "But I'll take this over the heat any day. It's just so miserable out."

While pools, water parks and air-conditioning companies benefited, the same can't be said for the gardening industry, said Tera Vessel, owner of Tera's Garden at Fourth Avenue and Fillmore Street in Phoenix.

"Last year, we went from summer to winter too quickly, which is never good, and now we've had no spring," Vessel said. "This early heat spell really hurts us because nobody wants to garden when it's so hot outside."

Most plants and flowers thrive in temperatures of 85 degrees or hotter, she added.

"It's really not a problem, even if its 100 degrees, as long as you water them more to compensate for the heat," she said.

Reaching 100 degrees in March is rare in Phoenix. The earliest Phoenix has ever hit 100 was March 26, 1988. Forecasters expect Phoenix to register 100 degrees by April, which typically logs 80-degree temperatures.


Hotter still elsewhere

But other parts of the state couldn't wait until April. Yuma hit 102 on Sunday, while Gila Bend was 101 and Lake Havasu was 100.

Those attending the 13th-annual Sunday on Central would have welcomed a little respite from the heat. Most dabbed on sunblock, sipped bottled water or munched on shaved ice.

The event, which blocks off Central Avenue from Virginia Avenue to Osborn Road, is held to inform residents of city services. Last year, more than 60,000 people attended the affair. But organizers doubted they would reach similar numbers this year.

"There are a lot of events this weekend, including the Women's Expo and the Aloha Festival," said Diane De Santis, event coordinator and chair. "The heat won't help either because many people will choose to stay inside."

Still, those attending the event didn't seem to mind the heat, thanks to the free entertainment, including Footklan, a Phoenix hip-hop dance troupe. It didn't take long for onlookers to get into the spirit of things, as the athletic 10-member troupe showed off sophisticated choreography that featured intricate leaps and head spins.

"They were fantastic and need to be on TV," Phoenix resident Judy Ritter said. "They were so worth coming to this event. So it's a little hot. This is Phoenix. We're used to it."

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