Dry eyes in Phoenix

Phoenix is a hard place on the tear film. NOAA’s records for Sky Harbor show just 7.22 inches of rain in a normal year and June afternoon humidity averaging 12 percent, and the dry air, desert dust and nonstop air conditioning all pull moisture off the eye’s surface faster. Blinking more, managing indoor air and a lubricating drop used as labeled can make the days more comfortable.

Dry eyes in Arizona: what the weather records show

NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport put normal yearly precipitation at 7.22 inches. The National Weather Service office in Phoenix points out that the figure dropped from 8.03 inches in the previous set of normals, so the official baseline itself got drier. Most of that rain arrives in two bursts: winter storms from December through March and summer monsoon storms in July and August. June is the driest month on the books, with a normal of 0.02 inches.

Heat is the other half of it. The same normals count an average of 111.3 days a year when the high reaches 100°F or more, and 173.4 days when it reaches at least 90°F. The normal high for July is 106.5°F. Warm air can hold a great deal of water vapor, so when there isn’t much vapor around, the relative humidity sinks very low and anything wet, including the front of your eye, gives up moisture readily.

Are dry eyes common in Arizona?

We won’t quote a percentage, because the honest answer would rest on surveys we can’t check. What can be checked is the air. NOAA’s Comparative Climatic Data tables, which list a morning and an afternoon humidity reading for each month, give Phoenix an annual average of 46 percent in the morning and 23 percent in the afternoon. In June the afternoon figure drops to 12 percent, and even in December and January the afternoon averages reach only 34 and 33 percent.

For comparison, plenty of people moving to the Valley from the Midwest or the coasts notice their eyes, lips and skin within the first few weeks. That’s the climate doing what the numbers say it will, and it isn’t by itself a reason for alarm. If your eyes ache, your vision changes, or the discomfort keeps going, that’s a question for an eye doctor rather than a drop.

Can dry air cause dry eyes?

The tear film has three layers: a thin mucus layer against the eye, a watery middle, and an oily outer layer that slows evaporation. Dry, warm or moving air speeds up that evaporation. In Phoenix you get all three at once on a summer afternoon, and then you walk into a building where the air conditioning has wrung even more moisture out of the air and a vent is blowing across your face.

Daily life here adds a few more pushes. Long drives on the I-10 or the Loop 101 with the AC vents aimed at your face. Office days spent staring at a monitor, which cuts down how often you blink. Early-morning hikes on Camelback or South Mountain before the heat, when the air is already dry and often breezy. Each one shortens the time a fresh layer of tears stays on the eye between blinks.

Dry eyes from dust and monsoon storms

Summer monsoon thunderstorms can push walls of dust across the metro. The Weather Service office in Phoenix documented one on August 25, 2025, with visibility in the metro falling below a quarter of a mile and wind reports of roughly 50 to 65 mph. On days like that, fine grit ends up on the lids and lashes, and people tend to rub their eyes, which only makes things worse.

• When a dust advisory is out, stay indoors where you can, or wear close-fitting sunglasses or goggles outside.
• Don’t rub. Rinse your face and closed eyelids with clean water once you’re inside.
• Change or clean the HVAC filter after a big dust event, since dust in the ducts keeps circulating.
• If grit feels stuck in the eye, or the eye hurts or your vision blurs afterward, call an eye doctor or urgent care.

Indoor air in a Phoenix house

Most homes in the Valley run air conditioning from late spring into October, and evaporative coolers still turn up in older neighborhoods. Refrigerated AC dries indoor air as it cools; a swamp cooler adds moisture, which is why it works poorly once the monsoon humidity arrives. A few practical moves for the AC months:

• Point car and ceiling-fan airflow away from your face, especially at night.
• Keep a small humidifier in the bedroom if your eyes feel worst on waking, and clean it as the manual says.
• Set a reminder to look away from your screen and blink fully every so often.
• Drink water through the day; you lose more than you notice in this heat.

Using a lubricating drop in the desert

Quell is designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which is the layer that stands between the watery tears and that dry desert air. Its Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Our Phoenix page has ordering details for the city, and the Arizona page covers the rest of the state.

Heat matters for storage too. The label’s storage line reads: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A car parked at a trailhead in July can climb far past that inside. Keep the bottle in a bag you carry with you, not in the glove box or the center console. If a bottle has been cooking in a car, look at it before use. The label’s Do not use line reads: If this product changes color.

The label also carries a caution worth reading before you order: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. Quell contains emu oil. The label also says when to stop: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. If you’re unsure whether a lubricating drop fits your situation, the dry eye self-check is a quick place to start; it’s not a diagnosis, and it will tell you when to see someone.