Payson, AZ

Part one dealt with location. This post deals with climate.

Payson has four distinct seasons.If you are familiar with the Arizona deserts, you'll know that the desert basically has TWO seasons, warm and hot. But Payson, at 5,000 ft. elevation, truly has FOUR.

Winter:
Nights get cold, with 20s, and even teens not unusual. We may get rain, sleet, hail, or snow. But there are also a LOT of sunny days. Even in the middle of Winter, if it is sunny, it isn't unusual for the daytime temperatures to be in the 50s. We are now at the end of February, and they are predicting 72 degrees, we've had an unusually warm and mild Winter so far.
About Payson snow: Payson has the best snow in the world- it falls, it looks beautiful, and mostly it melts before it gets to be a problem. Most of our snow falls in the Spring- I've seen two feet over Spring Break, but usually it is inches, not feet.

Spring:
Payson goes back and forth from Winter to Spring through March, April, and sometimes even May.Last year it was in the 30s at night on Memorial day and I couldn't put tomatoes out in my garden until early June. While the unpredictable weather may play havoc with gardens, most of Spring is very pleasant.
Spring flowers and shrubs pop up, fruit trees blossom, lilacs are all over town.

Summer:
Some years May is warm as Summer, and June is always warm. Often there are dry winds. Just before the Monsoon (the rainy season in July and August) the humidity may creep up and make days uncomfortable, but once the sun goes down the evenings cool off nicely. Monsoons storms may bring high winds, thunder and lightning, and rain by afternoon from July through August, and often into September.

Fall:
When the Monsoon dries up Payson has lots of lovely sunny days, with cool enough nights to start the leaves changing by October. The great weather may last into November.
Cool days, crisp nights, beautiful leaves, what more could you want.

If you can't tell, I LOVE Payson weather. I like changes in the weather, and I like storms. While mostly sunny, Payson has enough of both changes and storms to suit me just fine. Payson is ideal for a four season climate without extreme conditions, not TOO cold or TOO hot.

Here is a link to long term weather data for Payson from weather.com It gives average highs and lows monthly, as well as average precipitation (last year we were ABOVE the 30 year average for precipitation, so MAYBE we are out of the drought).

Pictures by ME- isn't Payson pretty?

Ghostly "Doings" on Main Street

The old Journigan house, build in 1925 and located at 202 W. Main Street in Payson, has been investigated several times by API (Arizona Paranormal Investigators) and each time have found evidence that some "ghostly doings" go on there frequently. After spending some time investigating, the group gave the old Journigan house a Class 6 Haunting rating which means they have at least one photo image and one recorded voice phenomena.

The house was turned into a restaurant several years ago and the ghosts have been acting up by adding hot chocolate to the bills of customers who never ordered the drink, and causing A-1 Steak Sauce bottles to fly off kitchen shelves.

Missouri ghost hunters, Brian and Linda Lile, did some investigations one evening and heard a lot of physical evidence. Bar stools being moved, footsteps, voices, dishes rattling and knocking on a door leading to an upstairs apartment. They identified two different ghosts. One was the father of a previous owner of the building who died of a heart attack in his room and a little 8 year old girl who died of an illness in 1914.

A psychic who ate dinner at the restaurant was looking at some photos taken at a dance held on the patio and said she saw smoky images of other ghosts joining in on the dancing. So apparently the are just having fun and being playful.

And then there is the story of a Big-Foot like creature that runs around on the Mogollon Rim with his orange flowing hair shining in the moonlight. But that's a story for another time...

Sandra Scott, GRI
http://www.PaysonHomesMLS.com
Four Seasons Real Estate
928-978-9047

I grew up in Yuma, AZ. If you don't know where Yuma is, it's 20 miles from Mexico, and right on the California border. Think HOT, and DRY! If it rained 2 or 3 times a year we were lucky. I always hated the climate (even though "snow bird" Winter visitors come from Canada and Northern US states to winter there), and I always said "I want to live where it snows".

My Dad, who grew up in Northern Arkansas, would always reply "No, you just THINK you want to live where it snows".

In the early 1990s, when our children were quite small, my husband and I decided to take a big leap, and move from Yuma. We went to Williams, AZ. Pine trees, fresh air, small town, SNOW. LOTS and lots of snow. That year was a record snow fall year- 90some inches. By the time the winter was over, I understood what Dad meant.

Snow is magic when it is falling, I still love it. And it is so beautiful all spread out white and pretty. But when it stays, and stays, and stays, it's not so pretty. Underfoot it packs down and freezes and gets slippery. And along the roads it piles up all dirty and ugly and mucky.

We moved to Payson, AZ at the end of March.Williams was still grey and brown, with melting snow all over. Payson was greening up, with Spring shrubs and bulbs coming up. So pretty.

Payson has the best snow imaginable, the magic without the muck. It falls (several times a Winter, usually), it's lovely for a few days, and then it has the good grace to MELT! We got 6 inches, mostly Monday night. Tuesday morning the roads were quite passable (of course it took me half an hour, with shoveling and tire spinning to get out of my driveway). By Wednesday the roads had been plowed, and were not only clear, but largely DRY. There are still drifts and expanses of snow around, but we are supposed to be sunny today and Friday, with a temperature of 50 degrees, so a lot of it will melt off.

The picture above was taken on Monday evening, some snow already fallen, more coming that night.

The picture here is the same tree (to the left), on Tuesday morning, after about 6 inches of snow the night before but with several hours of sunshine.

The only problem with lingering snow in Payson, really, is if you have a shaded porch or step or driveway- then you will have to shovel, or the white stuff may stick around and turn icy.

If you want to live with four seasons, but not too extreme- Payson is the place!

Pictures by me

Payson is just so convenient!

It is an hour to two hours drive to various parts of the Phoenix metro area. That means one can drive down to shop, for business, for entertainment, or anything else available , and can drive back to Payson when finished. Imagine a shopping or business trip when the temperature in Phoenix is 110 and traffic is awful- that road back to Payson looks extremely good.

It is about the same driving time to ski areas at either Snowbowl or Sunrise. If you ski (or snowboard) you can drive up for the day and still be home that evening.

The picture is looking out over the town from a new homesite off Airport Road.

Payson is not as hot as the Phoenix area and not as cold as Flagstaff or Pinetop, so we can enjoy both areas without suffering the temperature extremes, breathing the Phoenix "brown cloud" of smog, or sliding on snow and ice all winter at the higher elevations. (Another post will come about our great climate and clear, blue skies).

Payson is about an hour's drive from many beautiful lakes on the Mogollan Rim, it is also close to Roosevelt Lake for those colder months. Hiking, hunting, camping, boating; outdoor activities are always available and popular.

California, and the Las Vegas areas are convenient driving distance; so are the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and other tourist destinations.

Payson is located just about in the center of Arizona, and is the center for all kinds of activities.

Well, here are the pictures of the new Christopher Creek Branch office I said I would Post. Also the Hashknife Pony Express Riders came to Christopher Creek and then Payson Az post office. I will be posting more pictures of the Pony Express Riders in few days. Please feel Free to give me a call anytime with any questions you may have about our new branch office.

Thank You

David Greenshield

Four Seasons Realty,LLC

www.paysonarizonarealestate.info

928-970-1888