Summerhaven, Arizona

Summerhaven
Unincorporated community

The Summerhaven general store

Location of Summerhaven in Pima County and the state of Arizona
Summerhaven

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 32°26′18″N 110°45′33″W / 32.43833°N 110.75917°WCoordinates: 32°26′18″N 110°45′33″W / 32.43833°N 110.75917°W
Country United States
County Pima
Area
 • Total 4.6 sq mi (12 km2)
 • Land 4.6 sq mi (12 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation 8,200 ft (2,500 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 40
 • Density 8.7/sq mi (3.4/km2)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
ZIP Code 85619
Area code 520
1 Urban = 2010 Census

Summerhaven is a small Unincorporated community on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Summerhaven sits at an elevation of approximately 8,200 feet. Summerhaven is accessed via the Catalina Highway from suburban northeast Tucson, and it is about 24.5 miles from the base of the mountain to Summerhaven.

History

The Summerhaven area was originally used by the U.S. Army at Fort Lowell in Tucson as a military camp in its defense against the Apache people in the 1870s and 1880s.

Geography

House in Summerhaven.

Summerhaven is located at 32°29′10″N 110°46′35″W / 32.48611°N 110.77639°W (32.4415965, -110.7766004) in the Santa Catalina Mountains and is surrounded by pine trees. According to the 2010 Census, the Summerhaven census designated place had a total area of 4.6 sq mi (11.8 km2), almost all of which is land. Summerhaven's population is 40 according to the 2010 census.[1]

Climate

Due to its high elevation of 8,200 feet (2,500 m), Summerhaven experiences cool summers and cold winters. Yearly snowfall averages can be significant on average reaching 65 inches a year. A wind storm hit Summerhaven in May 2010 and caused extensive damage to the forest around it. Some trails were severely damaged, however repair efforts are underway.

Climate data for Mount Lemmon, Arizona (1958-2009)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)		 65
(18)		 68
(20)		 74
(23)		 82
(28)		 91
(33)		 89
(32)		 82
(28)		 81
(27)		 76
(24)		 71
(22)		 65
(18)		 91
(33)
Average high °F (°C) 49.2
(9.6)		 48.3
(9.1)		 52.9
(11.6)		 60.8
(16)		 69.1
(20.6)		 76.4
(24.7)		 76.5
(24.7)		 73.6
(23.1)		 70.4
(21.3)		 61.7
(16.5)		 56.3
(13.5)		 50.6
(10.3)		 62.2
(16.8)
Average low °F (°C) 22.8
(−5.1)		 21.8
(−5.7)		 25.7
(−3.5)		 31.7
(−0.2)		 36.6
(2.6)		 44.4
(6.9)		 49.8
(9.9)		 49.8
(9.9)		 45.1
(7.3)		 36.4
(2.4)		 29.7
(−1.3)		 24.3
(−4.3)		 34.8
(1.6)
Record low °F (°C) −4
(−20)		 −7
(−22)		 −1
(−18)		 19
(−7)		 27
(−3)		 32
(0)		 39
(4)		 42
(6)		 31
(−1)		 20
(−7)		 4
(−16)		 4
(−16)		 −7
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.15
(80)		 1.69
(42.9)		 1.17
(29.7)		 0.50
(12.7)		 0.25
(6.4)		 0.62
(15.7)		 4.41
(112)		 6.99
(177.5)		 3.39
(86.1)		 3.05
(77.5)		 1.75
(44.4)		 2.60
(66)		 29.56
(750.8)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 16.5
(41.9)		 20.4
(51.8)		 6.8
(17.3)		 2.0
(5.1)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 2.0
(5.1)		 6.2
(15.7)		 11.0
(27.9)		 64.9
(164.8)
Avg. precipitation days 5 5 5 3 2 2 10 11 5 3 3 5 59
Mean monthly sunshine hours 241 243 299 325 374 372 327 319 315 301 260 242 3,618
Source #1: [2]
Source #2: [3]

Demographics

In 2010, the population of the 85619 ZCTA was 40.[4] Note that this includes only people who were living in Summerhaven on the day of the census, thus excluding many part-time or seasonal residents. According to the 2010 American Census Bureau, the racial composition of Summerhaven was as follows:

Tourism and recreation

Summerhaven is a popular tourist destination. Several small shops in Summerhaven attract visitors, including the Mount Lemmon General Store and The Cookie Cabin, which offers homemade cookies and pizzas. In the winter, residents from lower elevations travel to Summerhaven, when the Catalina Highway is open, to enjoy the snow. Also during the summer, the same residents will frequent the area to get away from the heat. Because of the elevation difference between the Tucson area (5–6000 feet), the temperature in Summerhaven will be anywhere from 15-30 degrees cooler depending on weather patterns, which usually makes it a very comfortable place to be compared to the hot desert heat in the summer time.

October 2010 saw the inaugural running of the Mount Lemmon Marathon which saw nearly 800 participants finish the race from near the start of the Catalina Highway up to Summerhaven.[5]

Mount Lemmon Ski Valley

The Mount Lemmon Ski Valley located outside Summerhaven is the southernmost ski location in the continental United States.

Aspen Fire

Picture of burnt pine trees, snow, and a cabin among the stark landscape after the Aspen Fire in 2003.

The Aspen wildfire struck Summerhaven in the summer of 2003, which resulted in the destruction of more than 250 of the 700 homes in the community. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano assessed the damage, and both federal and county officials surveyed the extensive loss. In the months that followed, Tucson residents organized "Lemmon Aid" to help rebuild Summerhaven. Summerhaven continues to recover from the wildfire.

City services

There is a general store and several food venues, but no gasoline or automotive services. The Mount Lemmon Fire Department maintains a station near Summerhaven, providing fire and EMS services.

Following is a list of businesses/services in Summerhaven prior to, and following the Aspen Fire (and their current status):

External links

Media related to Summerhaven, Arizona at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_G001&prodType=table
  2. ↑ "Mount Lemmon, Arizona Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Mount Lemmon, Arizona Averages". Chinci World Atlas. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  4. ↑ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&_zip=85619
  5. ↑ Marc Lacey (17 October 2010). "A Finish Line With a Real High: 8,000 Feet". New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2010.