Dear Arizona Travel:
In the last ten years what has been the average weather conditions in Sedona from July 15 – 31? Would Sedona be good vacation location for a person with a heart condition who is unable to tolerate the high temperatures in July? I am hoping my friend will not have to stay in the air conditioned condo during our stay the week of the July 15th.
–M.E. Zapata
Greetings, M.E.!
Here is a chart of the average daily temperatures for July 15 – 31. I don’t know how large the sample of years over which these averages was taken (i.e. your suggestion of 10 years) but I used Weather.com as my resource.
Photo credit: BethinAZ on flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethinaz/ / CC BY 2.0
In general, the latter half of July is rather warm and sunny. However, there will be plenty of daytime hours that should feel quite comfortable for your friend. I recommend you start your days early, around 7am, to take advantage of comfortable morning temperatures. I suggest a morning Jeep tour – there are several companies that can offer a tour that would be safe for someone with a heart condition. After about a 4 hour tour, you could have a nice lunch indoors or on a cool, shady patio like the one at The Secret Garden at Tlaquepaque. Your friend may want to return to the condo for a respite during the hottest hours of the day, between 2 and 6pm.
There are plenty of really great indoor activities beyond spending time at your condo. Perhaps a nice spa treatment, a movie, a visit to the Sedona Arts Center, gambling at the nearby Cliff Castle Casino, a scenic drive, a ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad, a visit to an area winery, or a psychic reading. Also, you can get out of the heat by driving up Oak Creek Canyon for a shady walk/hike, or venturing down to the banks of Oak Creek to sit and relax with or even wade in the creek. There are lots of big trees, tall mountains and cool shade.
Another option is to take a half-day trip up to Flagstaff and visit Lowell Observatory or the Aboretum. Flagstaff is beautiful in the summer, with higher elevation and milder temps around 80 degrees at the peak of the day’s heat. Flagstaff is just 40 minutes from Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon (27 breathtaking miles.)
Here’s a list of 102 Things to Do in Sedona, many of which are perfect for staying cool in the summer.
So, YES! Sedona is a great vacation destination in July or anytime of year.
–ChristinaToo
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset | Avg. High | Avg. Low | Mean | Record High | Record Low |
| 15 | 5:25 AM | 7:41 PM | 97°F | 64°F | 80°F | 107°F (1997) | 56°F (1975) |
| 16 | 5:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 97°F | 64°F | 81°F | 109°F (2005) | 54°F (2001) |
| 17 | 5:26 AM | 7:40 PM | 97°F | 64°F | 81°F | 108°F (2005) | 57°F (1972) |
| 18 | 5:27 AM | 7:40 PM | 97°F | 64°F | 81°F | 109°F (2005) | 56°F (2000) |
| 19 | 5:28 AM | 7:39 PM | 97°F | 65°F | 81°F | 107°F (1978) | 54°F (1987) |
| 20 | 5:28 AM | 7:39 PM | 97°F | 65°F | 81°F | 105°F (1981) | 54°F (1987) |
| 21 | 5:29 AM | 7:38 PM | 97°F | 65°F | 81°F | 104°F (1981) | 53°F (1993) |
| 22 | 5:30 AM | 7:37 PM | 97°F | 65°F | 81°F | 104°F (1978) | 50°F (1973) |
| 23 | 5:30 AM | 7:37 PM | 97°F | 65°F | 81°F | 104°F (1981) | 51°F (1973) |
| 24 | 5:31 AM | 7:36 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 81°F | 104°F (1987) | 53°F (1993) |
| 25 | 5:32 AM | 7:35 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 81°F | 106°F (1980) | 54°F (1993) |
| 26 | 5:33 AM | 7:35 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 81°F | 104°F (1979) | 54°F (1993) |
| 27 | 5:33 AM | 7:34 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 81°F | 106°F (1980) | 55°F (1975) |
| 28 | 5:34 AM | 7:33 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 81°F | 110°F (1995) | 55°F (1970) |
| 29 | 5:35 AM | 7:32 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 80°F | 106°F (1978) | 55°F (1949) |
| 30 | 5:36 AM | 7:31 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 80°F | 107°F (1978) | 56°F (1975) |
| 31 | 5:36 AM | 7:31 PM | 96°F | 65°F | 80°F | 108°F (1993) | 56°F (1973) |
