How to Spot an Arizona Native

I was leaving a restaurant recently on what I think was quite possibly the world's coldest day. As I shivered and cursed because I didn't bring the right clothes for the sudden cold snap, I noticed that I may have gotten a little too used to the ordinarily warm Arizona weather.

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It was about forty degrees, and the wind was whipping cold. Icy rain was stinging my face and basically chilling me to the bone. That's when I saw it.

Cold Weather in Arizona

A teenage boy walked past me through the parking lot. He was wearing board shorts, a thin T-shirt, and sandals. While I shivered and wrapped my thin sweater around my shoulders, he strolled past me like he was walking to the beach.

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I desperately wanted to ask the kid if he'd just moved here from Minnesota. How in the world was he so unphased by the sudden cold snap? My Arizona-acclimated bones just couldn't relate.

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READ: The Reason Why Arizona's Winter Could Be Strange This Year

He joined a group of adults near my car, which I took to be his parents. While they were clad in clothing that seemed more seasonally appropriate than what the kid was wearing, their light jackets and complete lack of shivering made them seem far less bothered by the extreme cold as they stood casually chatting before climbing into their cars.

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At this point, my teeth were chattering uncontrollably. The sun was setting, and the temperature continued to drop. The business end of the wind made the air feel even colder. By the time the sun set, it was twenty below, and all life in Arizona ceased to exist.

READ: How to Survive Winter in Arizona. Hint: It's Not That Hard!

Extremely Cold Weather in Arizona

Alright, I'm exaggerating a bit here. Maybe it's not extremely cold. Forty-six degrees (and falling) is nothing compared to the negative temperatures in some parts of the country. Still, I'd like to mention that it actually snowed in Sierra Vista on the same morning, so I think that day qualifies as extreme cold—at least for us.

How to Spot Arizona Natives When it Gets Cold

1. Arizonans get excited when flurries fall from the sky. First, they get excited. Then, they grab some photos of the snow. Then, they continue their lives like nothing happened later in the afternoon when the snow disappears for good.

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2. Arizona Natives have no way to scrape ice from their windshields. Their mom, who lives in Michigan, once bought them an ice scraper, but it hasn't been seen in years.

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3. Arizonans talk about "going to the snow." They plan to spend some time in the mountains over the snowy weekend, making snowmen and having a snowball fight. That's where we keep the snow, sensibly tucked away in the higher elevations.

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4. They go to the mountains and are surprised to discover it's too cold for the thin little hoodie they brought. And there's no way they've got gloves. Anywhere.

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5. They bring their dog to the mountain, and he is wholly unimpressed by this soggy, cold, white stuff. "Seriously," the dog is obviously thinking, "who lives like this? Take me home to the warm backyard and feed me treats."

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If you were raised in Arizona or have lived here for at least five years, you're a native. Don't pull out that giant, padded overcoat your grandma sent you last Christmas. You won't need it. Until next week, anyway.

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