Describe Dallas Winters (for sale, buying, school)

[BSL63087]

I'm basically set on moving to the DFW area but my last concern is what the winters are like there in the metroplex. I'm from Southern Indiana near Louisville, KY and I'm looking to move on to a bigger and better place with more to do, pro sports teams, and better weather.

I don't mind the summer heat, I'm not saying I like it but I can deal with it much easier than I can deal with the 3 straight months of below freezing temperatures. I'm tired of the cold and I think Dallas should be about what I'm looking for.

Basically, I'm just concerned that I'm going to run into too much cold in Dallas and I'm looking for someone who has lived in the area to describe what winters are like. I'm afraid that it will just be a small improvement over the winters here. I'm not necessarily expecting 70s every day, but I'd also like to get away from 20's, 30's and low 40's every day though. I wouldn't mind if it dipped into the 40s or 30s sometimes, but just not pretty much every day for 3 straight months like it is here.

If someone could just please describe what Dallas winters are like, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm basically just trying to figure out if it's still pretty cold for 3 months straight there or if it is just cold sometimes. I'd consider it cold anytime the daytime high doesn't break about 45 or higher. Anything under 45 is pretty much too cold. I understand it will drop below that sometimes there, but I'm just wondering if it will be like that consistantly or just sometimes.

[Lakewooder]

Light jackets are about all you need. I love sweaters but I hate buying them because I know they will be of limited use. I have some gloves but hardly ever use them.

I would say it is just cold sometimes. If we ever get any snow or ice, it usually melts that afternoon.

[BSL63087]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Light jackets are about all you need. I love sweaters but I hate buying them because I know they will be of limited use. I have some gloves but hardly ever use them.

I would say it is just cold sometimes. If we ever get any snow or ice, it usually melts that afternoon.

That's pretty encouraging to hear. How often does it get warm enough for t-shirts in the winter time? As long as it's just not downright freezing all the time I will like it. I'm tired of December-January-February around here. Heavy jackets, gloves, taboggans, etc. are a must if you are going to be spending long periods of time outside. I hate it. I usually try to stay inside as much as possible and its almost like you want to wish time away so it won't be so cold anymore. I'm sick of living like that.

[kaykay]

Yes, according to your 45 degree daytime definition, I would say it is just really cold sometimes. You could look up the stats, but I imagine that the majority of winter days in Dallas break 50 and often get up to low 60's. That said, though, we do have our episodes of pretty bitter cold. But that's somewhat infrequent IMO. You'll like the weather. Maybe I'm weird but I actually wish we had a little more cold weather in the winter than we do!

[FarNorthDallas]

I've been here a long, long time. It used to be a lot colder than it is now. We used to get 3 or 4 days of ice or snow every winter and now we either get none or maybe 1 or 2 days. I used to need a winter coat and now I can do without it because there are just really a handful of days that are down right COLD, like 20s.

It's weird though. Because in August with all the back to school shopping there are sweaters, coats, heavy materials and long sleeves for sale in the stores but you can't really wear that stuff until November.

But it can vary a bit. In the last 10 years there have been Halloweens where your kids have to wear coats over the costumes and Halloweens that you have to take your costume off because of heat stroke.

This past winter was not very cold at all.

[Lakewooder]

My roommate at SMU was from the Texas panhandle - he wore short sleeve shirts all winter here - I couldn't do that...

[FarNorthDallas]

Yeah, the boys at St. Mark's School for Boys were uniform *shorts* year round.

[BSL63087]

Well this is pretty encouraging then. I have been in a long debate about deciding on Dallas or Phoenix and I was almost dead set on Dallas until I started considering the winter weather which is 1/3 of the reason I'm going to eventually move. It's obviously going to be warmer in the winter time in Phoenix but I was worried it would still get too cold too often. From what I have read in this thread, I think I'll like it. I don't really mind it getting a little cold sometimes, as long as its pretty much brief which it sounds like it is there. Here, it's pretty much heavy coat, taboggans, and gloves for 3 straight months (December, January, February). October, November, March, and the beginning of April can all be hit or miss here with it being sometimes cold, sometimes warm. It sounds like Dallas Decembers-Januarys-Februarys are similar to our Octobers or Novembers. If that's true, I'll no doubt be much happier.

Thanks everyone, and any other input is welcomed!

[Lakewooder]

OK, here's my fall (October) weather forecast based on going to 48 straight (from the stroller to present) Texas State Fairs (Fair Park in Dallas):

First week - hot
Second week - rain
Third week - cooler

The leaves don't really start falling here until Halloween or sometimes Thanksgiving.

[BSL63087]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

OK, here's my fall (October) weather forecast based on going to 48 straight (from the stroller to present) Texas State Fairs (Fair Park in Dallas):

First week - hot
Second week - rain
Third week - cooler

The leaves don't really start falling here until Halloween or sometimes Thanksgiving.

When do the leaves start to grow back? It seems like around here it's usually late March or early April, I think. I'm pretty sure the leaves start falling sometime in October.