Phoenix, AZ is in the Sonoran Desert, so getting to know this vast mecca of unique American physique is essential to moving there. It’s a pretty big place, with over 100,000 square miles in the hottest part of the country, so there’s plenty to know! Even if you never leave the city after moving there, it’s nice to know that you could explore an amazing new world, if you desire.

Vast Land Mass

The Sonoran Desert stretches through Mexico, taking up some space in Sonora State, its namesake. The rest of the desert stretches through the Mexican states of Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur. It hits the United States by sprawling through Southern California and Arizona.

The Land of the Hot, The Home of the Plenty

This is the hottest desert in North America. It’s also the most biodiverse. It’s home to a lot of animals - 350 bird types, 20 amphibians, 60 mammal species, and more than 2000 plant species, all native to the area. How in the world does a desolate land have so much diversity? The answer is in its two yearly rainy seasons, which nourish a number of flora and fauna. Northern winter storms and southern summer monsoons both contribute to create the perfect mix of dry vs. wet, with the surrounding mountains contributing seasonal runoff every year.

It’s Still Dry, Though

The Sonoran Desert may be supplied with ample moisture, but it is still one of the driest deserts in North America, for a few reasons:

• Latitude: It rests at 30 degrees, referred to as a horse latitude. This is created by the equator, where wet, warm air rises then drops moisture in the form of rain, creating the tropical rainforests closest to the equator. When that air reaches higher altitudes, it becomes dry, cold, and can’t rise anymore, so it instead spreads. At 30 degrees, it starts to sink, holding moisture away from the earth. This is why most deserts are found at this latitude.
• Double Rain Shadows: Mountain slopes help moisturize, but also dry out, this area. Wet air moves up the slope to expand then cool, forming clouds. These clouds precipitate on the mountains, but as it moves down the mountain, it dries up. This makes a drier landscape down the mountain.

Learn to Survive Here From the Professionals

Moving to Phoenix involves more than looking into movers and the best packaging equipment Phoenix AZ has to offer. Surviving a desert means keeping cool, so take some lessons from the species who survive here for generations.

Find moisture: the Mesquite tree pushes roots into the ground up to 30 meters to find precious moisture.

Live underground: Some plants will look dead above ground, because they are. They are living through their root systems, completely healthy, allowing their exposed parts to die off.

Take it off: Some trees will drop leaves in times of drought to avoid having to store or take in moisture.

Diversify moisture intake: Kangaroo rats are neat desert animals who survive dry times by eating leaves and seeds. They get their moisture this way; they can survive a lifetime without ever drinking water.

If you’re moving to Phoenix, AZ, get to know the lay of the land before joining us here. If you’re moving around or storing items in Phoenix, remember that it’s dry here, and you’ll need the most specific packaging equipment Phoenix AZ has to offer, to protect items from this unique type of weather.