What is the weather like? (Houston, Dallas: environment, transplants, motel)

[sunsky778]

I have been reading about Texas being bad for allergies and that the humidity is horrible! Is it worse than Florida? What is the yearly weather like in Austin?

[art_teacher_mom]

Austin weather is just fine, in my opinion. Humidity in Austin is NOTHING like Florida or Houston, but there are some pretty humid days mixed in. I always joked that there are only two seasons in Austin - hot and cold. If you have a wool coat and a bathing suit you're all set for whatever's coming.
Oh, and the weather is very unpredictable. It snowed last Easter. I have a picture of my kid sitting in bluebonnets in the snow.
There are several outdoor "outlet" malls in the Austin area. They only build those in towns with decent weather, if that tells you anything.

[TexasHorseLady]

We have an 11 month growing season (August is pretty much the off month). Pleasant most of the year - summer can get hot. It rarely gets REALLY cold, though we do get snow every few years for about 24 hours - just often enough that everything shuts down and everybody goes out and plays in the snow.

A few humid days, but nothing like coastal cities anywhere.

I take Alavert-D some seasons. It seems to work just fine, but my allergies aren't particularly bad. Others may (and do) suffer more - it all depends on what you're allergic to.

[jread]

Originally Posted by sunsky778

I have been reading about Texas being bad for allergies and that the humidity is horrible! Is it worse than Florida? What is the yearly weather like in Austin?

You can't really group all of Texas as a whole as far as climate goes. You will find drastically different climates between El Paso and Houston, or Amarillo and Corpus Christi.

Anyway, Austin is not even the slightest bit remotely close to as humid as Florida. Florida has the worst humidity I've ever experienced in my life, and is 100x worse than Austin's muggiest days.

[Mckellyb]

There are different environments between Dallas and Ft. Worth. Amazing, actually, for having all of 50 miles between them.

Climate. It's way more damp here than in the desert or high-country of CO, but can't touch Portland or Seattle for incessant drizzle. For example, you don't see roofs here with two feet of moss growing on it. No moss on cars, either....

I thought that was funny to see, moss on cars, 'till it happened to me....

I've been re-acclimating to humidity, and while I've been spoiled by the desert and high-desert dryness of where we've been the past few years, I like the fact my fingernails don't peel off my fingers if I look at 'em. Also, I missed lightning and thunder while we were elsewhere.

As it is, I've seen more rain in one day than in three full years in Vegas.

Oh, and the allergies. It depends on what you're allergic to. I have a wicked sensitivity to cottonwood trees, but I've been able to avoid it this year...might just be much less of it here than in Dallas...the thought of which makes me very, very happy. Cedar, it's here. Oak, we've got it. There are some others, too. At the same time, I find I have much less congestion/coughing than when we were in Vegas, 'cause everyone and their brother insists on bringing whatever their favorite hometown plant was, and the town is about 70% transplants. You'd be amazed what will grow in the desert if you incessantly throw water on it....

I'm still taken aback by the dampness, but it can't touch say, Savannah, GA or Nashville, TN, in the summer. Erk.

I am surprised, to the point of laughing, the National Weather Service issues "low relative humidity" alerts for humidity between 20-30%. Puhleeze. That's like issuing a statement warning of changing barometric pressure.

[starsweet]

Originally Posted by Mckellyb

I am surprised, to the point of laughing, the National Weather Service issues "low relative humidity" alerts for humidity between 20-30%. Puhleeze. That's like issuing a statement warning of changing barometric pressure.

So... are you saying that 20-30% humidity really ISN'T low? Cuz that is extremely low to me (I live in Georgia but am thinking of moving to Austin).

[jread]

Originally Posted by starsweet

So... are you saying that 20-30% humidity really ISN'T low? Cuz that is extremely low to me (I live in Georgia but am thinking of moving to Austin).

Austin is going to feel like a desert coming from Georgia. It is not the arid climate of the Southwest, but it is also MUCH drier than the Eastern U.S. My wife moved here from Florida and was so happy when her skin cleared up and her hair became manageable. Now when we visit her family there she cannot handle the humidity anymore (I never could).

[starsweet]

Originally Posted by jread

Austin is going to feel like a desert coming from Georgia. It is not the arid climate of the Southwest, but it is also MUCH drier than the Eastern U.S. My wife moved here from Florida and was so happy when her skin cleared up and her hair became manageable. Now when we visit her family there she cannot handle the humidity anymore (I never could).

That sounds like the best news I've heard all day. I went to Vegas a few years ago for a break and was excited to experience the low humidity. But when I got there, it was too low, even for ME! Which I never would have thought since I hate humidity with a passion. I had to put on chapstick every hour and I never use the stuff here. So Austin seems like a good compromise to me.

[jread]

Originally Posted by starsweet

That sounds like the best news I've heard all day. I went to Vegas a few years ago for a break and was excited to experience the low humidity. But when I got there, it was too low, even for ME! Which I never would have thought since I hate humidity with a passion. I had to put on chapstick every hour and I never use the stuff here. So Austin seems like a good compromise to me.

Yeah, I really didn't like Vegas at all when I went there. I never will forget the first moment that I walked outside a took a breath of the air: it HURT! I seriously walked out of the airport, breathed in, and it was painful... like my lungs instantly dehydrated.

Austin is definitely nothing like that, though you will find yourself using chapstick more than you do in Georgia. To me, Austin is just damp enough to keep your skin from turning into leather, but dry enough that you don't need gills to breathe. Don't get me wrong, we definitely have muggy days and they really suck when it's summertime, but usually the humidity is bearable. There is one thing that you should know about Austin's climate, though: it's HOT from May through November. And no, I don't mean "a little warm", I mean it's "OH CRAP IM GOING TO KILL MYSELF" HOT. Some people adjust to it... some people don't. It's a lot easier for people from the South because they are used to even worse summer conditions. I personally have lived in Texas my entire life and I cannot handle the summers. Each one that goes by gets harder and harder on me. I just can't tolerate heat very well, which means I probably live in the wrong state