Some upsides of Arizona's summer heat

PHOENIX - As we adjust to extreme heat this summer in Arizona, we thought, why not look on the bright side? Surely there are some good things about 110, right?

When you're sweating, it's tough to see the upside of high temperatures, but we asked some people out and about in Phoenix to find something positive about the heat.

"There's no good thing about the heat," a resident said, but we beg to differ.

One of the good things: traffic is lighter.

Winter visitors have bailed and Valley residents are seeking cooler climates.

Next up, hot temps are better for allergy sufferers.

Allergist Duane Wong was definitive about the benefits of high heat.

After a wet winter and high pollen counts, his patients welcome the hot temps in summer.

"Now that it's here, not that we've hit a hundred degrees a few days in a row, now we're starting to see pollen counts start to drop. It's really been a great thing this summer, he said.

Looking to cool down and save money?

Local resorts have slashed prices to lure residents to enjoy staycations.

Four Peaks Brewing Co. is offering $4 pints of beer on any day that reaches a temp of 104 or higher.

Also dropping in price is a round of golf. In fact, it's plummeting – sometimes by more than 50%.

Another good thing: heat is good for your aches and pains.

"My grandparents came from California. They moved to Buckeye for the heat," a man said.

Another said, "It helps my arthritis and everything like that."

What about the bad things?

The heat also brings higher electricity and water use, which means a higher bill for many.

"So, there is an increase we see, about 75% more water use during the summertime in a single family home, than we do than we see during the wintertime," said Max Wilson, Deputy Director of the Phoenix Water Services Department.

There are, however, ways to save some money.

"The best way to conserve water in the summer is to start outside," said Wilson. "About 60% of your water use is actually outside your house. That’s your pool. It’s your plants."

The City of Phoenix has also created a digital plant watering guide to help explain how much - as well as how often - to water.

"Your plants outside, they need more water when it’s hot like this, but we do want to make sure that you are not giving those plants even more than they actually need. So to do that, you will want to make sure that you are not watering any of your plants, even your grass, more than a couple of times a week," said Wilson.

The guide suggests watering grass to a depth of 6 in to 10 in. People can use a long screwdriver to test the depth, or for those with sprinklers, put a few cans out to collect water to see how much the lawn is being watered.

For small plants like annuals or ground covers, water about a foot deep. For large plants like trees, water about three feet. 

"Conservation isn’t something that we just do during crisis as people who live in the desert," said Wilson. "It’s part of our lifestyle. It’s part of why we chose to live here. That being said, obviously want to make sure we are as thoughtful as we possibly can be with our water use during times of shortage and crisis, like we are right now."