Real feel of heat between Austin and Houston... (El Paso: living in, cities)

[hound 109]

I lived in Houston for 22 years & in Austin for 15 years. Pros & cons to both, but regarding Summertime weather there's a big difference (if you spend time outdoors).

Originally Posted by kittyhawk

Texans like to quibble about which city is hotter but the differences are negligible. Inaccurate.

The argument is laughable to someone from the western US. The OP is from Metro NY (most likely more humid than the laughing westerners who think that everything east of US 281 is humid).

Both are subtropical climates. One is on the Coastal Plain & the other is on the Blackland Prarie/Edwards Plateau, big difference.

Austin is a media darling at present Who cares. so it's classified as more comfortable by most. 2 + 2 does not equal 7.

Like all of Texas, they are both stinkin hot and uncomfortable during the summer no matter how you slice it. True, but one is (a little) hotter & dryer & the other is (a little) cooler & more humid.

Weather should not be a deciding factor about where to live in Texas unless you are comparing far west Texas or the Panhandle with everything east of US-281. I disagree if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

Trainwreck: The humidity can be very high in Houston even late in they day, whereas that is relatively uncommon in Austin.

Correct. There's a big difference in dressing up & going to a party (or any outdoor event) at 8pm when it's 88 degrees & 58% humidity in Austin and 86 degrees & 80% humidity in Houston. Also a big difference when trying to fall asleep at night when the house is just a little bit too humid.

Hoffdano: The key difference to me is that humidity in the afternoon is noticeably lower in Austin. In Houston the humidity stays high all day. Morning humidity really doesn't so much because it is cooler anyway.

Only in Houston have I had the fogged eyeglasses situation walking out of an air conditioned building into the outdoor air.

Austin is hotter, and a bit colder in winter. Houston's weather is more directly shaped by the Gulf of Mexico.

This is exactly my take. Playing golf or tennis at 6pm in Austin when it's 99 degrees is doable. In Houston when it's 96 degrees at 6pm, every bit of clothing is damp, the glasses are wet from sweat & you lose your grip (both sports).

alwaysmiling: The difference to me is the sweat factor. It's hot in Austin, yes, but in Houston you can't walk to check your mail without sweating. Austin feels like you cracked the oven. Houston feels like you stuck your head in the clothes dryer when the clothes were still damp and the heat on high. Not very cientific, but if you choose Houston you'll know what I mean. Houston is nice in the winter though... But summers.... Austin has the edge, because that little bit of extra humidity makes Houston feel Awful IMO. Good luck!

Agreed. Maybe not as big a deal if one doesn't sweat much or isn't active (or doesn't wear blue shirts ). But many of us prefer the climate of Austin (or San Antonio/Boerne/New Braunfels) because of the lower humidity (especially in the evening & at night). Houston (like New Orleans, Mobile etc.).... is Africa hot. Austin (& SA), not so much.

[USNomad]

Dew point is often a better measure of how comfortable a person will find the weather than relative humidity because it more directly relates to whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Per WeatherSpark, I found this information:

For Austin:
Over the course of a year, the dew point typically varies from 29°F (dry) to 74°F (very muggy) and is rarely below 17°F (dry) or above 76°F (oppressive).

There are two periods in the year that are most comfortable: The first is between February 18 and April 27 and the second is between October 6 and November 30. The air feels neither too dry nor too muggy during these periods.

For Houston:
Over the course of a year, the dew point typically varies from 33°F (dry) to 76°F (very muggy) and is rarely below 19°F (dry) or above 78°F (oppressive).

There are two periods in the year that are most comfortable: The first is between February 11 and April 25 and the second is between October 13 and December 15. The air feels neither too dry nor too muggy during these periods.

Having previously lived in Houston and I frequently spend lots of time in Austin, both are hot as hell. However, as a outdoorsy person, I end up spending more time outdoors during the summer in Austin over Houston.

[rrjr]

Difference to me - in Houston - I need gills to breathe. In Austin, no issue. Not scientific, but having spent enough time in both places...Houston humidity > Austin humidity any day of the week.

[locochinoloco]

LOL... I really appreciate all the response... my wife and I will be visiting end of July to early August for a week and decide.

I totally understand that we shouldn't pick a city based on weather, but it is a factor or else we would have moved to Seattle, WA. ... my wife likes the sun more and is tired of the cold weather.

Other factors for us are obviously jobs, then proximity to Chinese food, Asian supermarkets, reasonable priced reflexology and ranges for shooting sports. But I have a feeling that I will be getting a tent to shoot in TX weather. LOL ... There is definitely more opportunity for my wife as she is in the financial/investment industry, but I'm a senior software test engineer so there are job in both places for myself. So weather is just one piece of the puzzle.

It also seems that real estate is a bit more in Austin than Houston. We don't have kids and don't plan on having kids so school district is not important to us, but we'll need a house with mother-in-law suite as well so that's another journey to find the right place.

Once again, thanks for all the advice and opinions!!!

If anyone is considering moving to NYC, hit me up. I've lived here for over 30+ years and I'll talk you out of it. LOL

[kittyhawk]

Originally Posted by hound 109

I lived in Houston for 22 years & in Austin for 15 years. Pros & cons to both, but regarding Summertime weather there's a big difference (if you spend time outdoors).

Great, you proved my point! You've spent almost 40 years in Texas so it's your only perspective. For you, I'm sure the weather in Austin is vastly different from the Houston metro. However, since the OP is coming from the east coast, where Texas-style heat+humidity is rare, both places are going to be stinkin hot from May-September.

And according the climate tables posted earlier, the humidity differences between Austin and Houston are
more in the range of 3-5%, not the 25% you casually dropped in your last post.

96 degrees with any kind of measurable humidity is not "doable" for people not used to it. Yes, if you are motivated enough, you learn to adapt, but the 65% humidity versus 70% humidity is definitely not a reason to brag.

[alwaysmiling]

Originally Posted by kittyhawk

Great, you proved my point! You've spent almost 40 years in Texas so it's your only perspective. For you, I'm sure the weather in Austin is vastly different from the Houston metro. However, since the OP is coming from the east coast, where Texas-style heat+humidity is rare, both places are going to be stinkin hot from May-September.

And according the climate tables posted earlier, the humidity differences between Austin and Houston are
more in the range of 3-5%, not the 25% you casually dropped in your last post.

96 degrees with any kind of measurable humidity is not "doable" for people not used to it. Yes, if you are motivated enough, you learn to adapt, but the 65% humidity versus 70% humidity is definitely not a reason to brag.

....yawn..... Let it go Houstonian... The OP already appreciated the responses and ended the thread. You don't need to chime in and blah blah blah Houston isn't as bad as we think yeah yeah yeah right. Go back to the swamp... Houston is unbearable for most. Austin is tolerable. we got it... Everyone gets it..

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by alwaysmiling

....yawn..... Let it go Houstonian... The OP already appreciated the responses and ended the thread. You don't need to chime in and blah blah blah Houston isn't as bad as we think yeah yeah yeah right. Go back to the swamp... Houston is unbearable for most. Austin is tolerable. we got it... Everyone gets it..

Seriously?

I've lived in both. Heat index is similar. Both suck during the summer. The Austitude is really uncalled for. If you can actually dispute what the poster said, do it instead of insulting.

[kittyhawk]

Originally Posted by alwaysmiling

....yawn..... Let it go Houstonian... The OP already appreciated the responses and ended the thread. You don't need to chime in and blah blah blah Houston isn't as bad as we think yeah yeah yeah right. Go back to the swamp... Houston is unbearable for most. Austin is tolerable. we got it... Everyone gets it..

Wow, that must have really gotten under your skin. I don't live in Houston anymore and have no reason to defend it. For the record, I think Houston and Austin both have great amenities and are both unique for different reasons. However, to say the climates are that different is just ludicrous.

On second thought, you are absolutely right, I stand corrected. 96 degrees at 8 PM from June-August is just plain gorgeous. What the heck was I thinking? And people are leaving Houston in droves and moving to Austin to seek a better climate. Naturally, once they make the move they all become enlightened climatically, academically, and spiritually.

[alwaysmiling]

Lol

[bu2]

Originally Posted by locochinoloco

LOL... I really appreciate all the response... my wife and I will be visiting end of July to early August for a week and decide.

I totally understand that we shouldn't pick a city based on weather, but it is a factor or else we would have moved to Seattle, WA. ... my wife likes the sun more and is tired of the cold weather.

Other factors for us are obviously jobs, then proximity to Chinese food, Asian supermarkets, reasonable priced reflexology and ranges for shooting sports. But I have a feeling that I will be getting a tent to shoot in TX weather. LOL ... There is definitely more opportunity for my wife as she is in the financial/investment industry, but I'm a senior software test engineer so there are job in both places for myself. So weather is just one piece of the puzzle.

It also seems that real estate is a bit more in Austin than Houston. We don't have kids and don't plan on having kids so school district is not important to us, but we'll need a house with mother-in-law suite as well so that's another journey to find the right place.

Once again, thanks for all the advice and opinions!!!

If anyone is considering moving to NYC, hit me up. I've lived here for over 30+ years and I'll talk you out of it. LOL

If you are inside in the A/C Austin and Houston feel the same. You don't need a humidifier, just an A/C system that doesn't break down. One of the main things any A/C system does is de-humidify.

As several have said, Austin has higher temperatures, but Houston is more humid and more challenging for outdoor activities in the summer. Houston has milder winters.