How humid is Austin????? (title, humidity, 2008)

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by Danbo1957

Good grief people, we've gone over this many times:

It's the humidity and the heat combination. In the summer, Austin and San Antonio can have 104 degrees and 85% humidity, AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Come stand on a street corner in late July...

During the summer in Austin, 100* (and higher) and 100% humidity is not uncommon. Surely no one is disputing this?

[calel]

We get 100 degree days and very occasionally 100% humidity, but rarely at the same time. You can look up weather almanacs on some of the popular weather sites and see what the recorded temps/humidity/dew levels were for the day. Austin tends to hit peak humidity at night and early morning and hits the low midday.

Coming from Houston, Austin is pretty dry in comparison. Houston, to me, has that clinging damp that you can feel in the air nearly year round that can be unbearable even when the weather is cool.

[rgb123]

Well its kind of funny. I hate to say it but its like the old sterotype about Texans....they think they are the first and worst and best of everything. ITs the hottest, most humid, biggest, etc. etc. Some of that is true. But its NOT the most humid! That is laughable in this area of Texas.

It is muggy sometimes. But the charts to illustrate that your rainy seasons are not in the hottest months like they are up north. Also, it dries out here in the afternoon where the mugginess just continues all day up north.

There are more breaks in the heat in the summer time up north. But its funny to me how a place with cacti, the people are just so sure its SOO humid. It's no picnic here in the summer....but it's pretty dry relative to most places in the US save the southwest and other places west of the 100th meridian.

The charts illustrate that July and August are not as humid as May and Sept. here. It's the opposite up north. The hottest months are the most humid, and it thunderstorms regularly. Its like a steam bath. People die in heatwaves.

It usually lasts for a shorter period of time but its miserable.

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

Simply because you THINK it's humid doesn't mean it actually is that humid. It's a combination of many different factors which make the weather seem like it is, and humidity is only one of them. I would think that the warm winds blowing in summer off of the Lake would make it feel more humid, without actually raising the humidity.

Lake Michigan is VERY cold. Chicago has what is called the "Lake effect" it leads to more snow in the winter (it can make it more damp and "colder" in the winter cause its more windy and it feels colder and damper). In the summer it moderates the temperature in the city and makes it feel cooler and its breezier. The humidity steambath stagnates once you get away from the lake.

It is not a warm body of water. It rarely warms up enough to swim in until August...except for the bravest of souls.

[jread]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

During the summer in Austin, 100* (and higher) and 100% humidity is not uncommon. Surely no one is disputing this?

I've been here for nearly a decade and have never, ever seen that happen... not once. So yes, I'm disputing that.

[Danbo1957]

I think that it has become more humid on average over the last ten years. Look at the humidity levels for this past week, count the hours where it is above 75% - and that is at the airport. Here in west Austin we have had fog, yes fog, on several mornings.

Daily Logs

The mean humidity for May - the mean - is 72% - that's humid any way you look at it (also note that we only had one day of rain this month, dammit).

Month to Date

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Danbo1957

I think that it has become more humid on average over the last ten years. Look at the humidity levels for this past week, count the hours where it is above 75% - and that is at the airport. Here in west Austin we have had fog, yes fog, on several mornings.

Daily Logs

The mean humidity for May - the mean - is 72% - that's humid any way you look at it (also note that we only had one day of rain this month, dammit).

Month to Date

Dont know where that rain gauge is located, but we have at least 3 days of major rain in may in the great hills area. We probably have had 8 days total of rainy weather.

[mimimomx3]

We're just going to have to agree to disagree. There have been plenty of days on the weather reports where I've heard '100/100' days. I've lived in South Texas all my life, and you can't get away from the heat and the humidity. I don't know if it's better or worse than California/Chicago/Missouri, it's damn hot.

[texastrigirl]

Well, here's the official report...compare cities to your heart's delight

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/...ccd/relhum.txt

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Well, let's be positive about this. If I sweat enough maybe I won't have to take water pills. It's a win-win situation.