17 cities ranked for number of days that go <32F or >90F (cabin, move)

[soletaire]

The only part i can agree with from my experience is that Houston does have the mildest temps of all 3...in the sense that it doesnt have the wild temperature swings from season to season that Tyler and Dallas can have...so from a temperate stand point it has some of the least extreme temperature swings in the nation, i would think...which is really the only thing i can say that i truly like about its whether...but in terms of weather events, it has a good deal many more serious weather events than ive experienced in Tyler ..ive even heard of one or 2 people dying in the flooding here.. which, i would say, because routine flooding seems to happen so frequently when it rains here (compared to other places outside the coastal south), could be considered a real concern.

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA

Completely false, considering that many of those events aren't even common in the first place.

I doubt you'd be able to successfully bet that the average Houstonian would be surprised by each of these events happening all in one year. I stand by my point and there's no way for you to disprove that.

The extremity of weather in Houston is the same as that for the rest of the Coastal South, and the other subtropical cities of the world. Way more than "very few" cities.

We're not talking about the whole world, we're talking about the US. Those Coastal South cities may included in that group of "very few".

Actually, a good swath of the US has experienced the effects of hurricanes, if the remnants of such hurricanes, as well as the lower stages(tropical storms, depressions, etc) are included as effects.

Right. Now take note of where I said "direct effects" which would only apply to cities near the coast.

I acknowledged your agreement, though Houston's moderacy in temps goes well beyond Texas.

There's no telling what your definition of well beyond is, but I won't bother going down that road. I understand that you feel Houston has the greatest weather in the world and you'll split any hair you have to in an attempt to drive that point home.

Any city that can experience two major flooding events and exceptional drought within a span of only 10 years qualifies as having an extreme climate in my book. Nothing you say will change that.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by mega man

I doubt you'd be able to successfully bet that the average Houstonian would be surprised by each of these events happening all in one year. I stand by my point and there's no way for you to disprove that.

Many of those events are infrequent in Houston in the first place, and yet you claim that people in the city won't be surprised if they all happened in one year? Listen to yourself, please. Not even the most vigorous of Houston's detractors would reach that far as to make such a preposterous claim.

Originally Posted by mega man

We're not talking about the whole world, we're talking about the US. Those Coastal South cities may included in that group of "very few".

Even including strictly just the Coastal South in this, that constitutes to quite a bit of cities in the US, way more than "very few."

Originally Posted by mega man

Right. Now take note of where I said "direct effects" which would only apply to cities near the coast.

Now that you mention it, Houston proper actually is quite spared from the real direct effects of hurricanes, such as the storm surge. Its slightly inland location, and an elevation of 50ft+ helps to lessen the impact of hurricanes compared to other Coastal cities like New Orleans, and Miami. The direct hurricane effects, such as storm surge, are only a problem for the areas of the Houston metro near Galveston Bay, and the Gulf.

Originally Posted by mega man

There's no telling what your definition of well beyond is, but I won't bother going down that road. I understand that you feel Houston has the greatest weather in the world and you'll split any hair you have to in an attempt to drive that point home.

Well beyond as in much of the country. Houston's temp magnitudes are on the less extreme side in comparison to much of the country, apart from the West Coast, Florida, and direct coastal areas of parts of the Coastal South.

I believe that the entire Coastal South, not just Houston, has great weather relative to the rest of the country.

Originally Posted by mega man

Any city that can experience two major flooding events and exceptional drought within a span of only 10 years qualifies as having an extreme climate in my book. Nothing you say will change that.

Well then, by that definition, pretty much every city in this country qualifies as having an extreme climate, even the very moderate coastal California.

Originally Posted by soletaire

The only part i can agree with from my experience is that Houston does have the mildest temps of all 3...in the sense that it doesnt have the wild temperature swings from season to season that Tyler and Dallas can have...so from a temperate stand point it has some of the least extreme temperature swings in the nation, i would think...which is really the only thing i can say that i truly like about its whether...but in terms of weather events, it has a good deal many more serious weather events than ive experienced in Tyler ..ive even heard of one or 2 people dying in the flooding here.. which, i would say, because routine flooding seems to happen so frequently when it rains here (compared to other places outside the coastal south), could be considered a real concern.

Majority of those floods are run-of-the-mill floods, where the streets that get flooded are only the poorly-built, or low-lying ones. Often times, the worst the floods cause is a messy commute. Also, lots of times, flooding in Houston resulted from poor drainage infrastructure in certain areas, which, upon improvement, caused cessation of such flooding. The natural bayou landscape around Houston is also seeing revitalization, where the bayous are being returned to their natural, verdant state, allowing for effective draining of the water, reducing flood concerns.

Truly extreme floods, like those seen in Allison, are not routine in Houston. Dallas and Tyler also have their share of flood events as well.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA

Many of those events are infrequent in Houston in the first place, and yet you claim that people in the city won't be surprised if they all happened in one year? Listen to yourself, please. Not even the most vigorous of Houston's detractors would reach that far as to make such a preposterous claim.



Even including strictly just the Coastal South in this, that constitutes to quite a bit of cities in the US, way more than "very few."



Now that you mention it, Houston proper actually is quite spared from the real direct effects of hurricanes, such as the storm surge. Its slightly inland location, and an elevation of 50ft+ helps to lessen the impact of hurricanes compared to other Coastal cities like New Orleans, and Miami. The direct hurricane effects, such as storm surge, are only a problem for the areas of the Houston metro near Galveston Bay, and the Gulf.



Well beyond as in much of the country. Houston's temp magnitudes are on the less extreme side in comparison to much of the country, apart from the West Coast, Florida, and direct coastal areas of parts of the Coastal South.

I believe that the entire Coastal South, not just Houston, has great weather relative to the rest of the country.



Well then, by that definition, pretty much every city in this country qualifies as having an extreme climate, even the very moderate coastal California.



Majority of those floods are run-of-the-mill floods, where the streets that get flooded are only the poorly-built, or low-lying ones. Often times, the worst the floods cause is a messy commute. Also, lots of times, flooding in Houston resulted from poor drainage infrastructure in certain areas, which, upon improvement, caused cessation of such flooding. The natural bayou landscape around Houston is also seeing revitalization, where the bayous are being returned to their natural, verdant state, allowing for effective draining of the water, reducing flood concerns.

Truly extreme floods, like those seen in Allison, are not routine in Houston. Dallas and Tyler also have their share of flood events as well.

- I lived in Houston for more then 20 years. Yes-- there were several occasions where those weather events happened within the same year.

- Regarding hurricanes: In my 20 or so years, I feel I was adversely affected (both directly and indirectly) by six hurricanes and tropical storms. These adverse affects ranged from closing offices and boarding windows to evacuating, living through multiple occasions of flooding deep enough to kill people, sustaining damage to structures, enduring extended power/water outages (during the most challenging of Houston's fabled paradise-like weather ) and prolonged evacuations in the ensuing panic which also killed people, incidentally, that took 25 hours to travel 200 miles. There's your paradise--people were ****ting on the side of the freeway. Each time it flooded significantly (meaning deep enough to bury typical cars on a freeway) it was listed as a "100-year event". LOL...

-The fact that Houston is affected by both continental and coastal influences puts it at the mercy of being the worst of two worlds. It gets both continental fronts and Gulf moisture. The collision point of these two factors, somewhere in the middle of Houston, is an extremely volatile severe weather-maker. It doesn't take a hurricane or tropical system to produce rain events that flood Houston to dangerous, life-threatening degrees. I have been stranded on an overpass, surrounded by rising brown, soupy water, while half-flooded cars burned and there was no light because power was out for miles around, in a "regular" Texas storm that was not tropical at all.

-The temperature swings range from upper 90s (to 100+) in summer to low 30s & 20s in winter. Factor in extreme humidity and the perceived temperature ranges from 105-28. That's extreme by any measure. It's incredibly uncomfortable, compared to somewhere like SF, where the yearly range is more like 75-50.

[soletaire]

Majority of those floods are run-of-the-mill floods, where the streets that get flooded are only the poorly-built, or low-lying ones. Often times, the worst the floods cause is a messy commute. Also, lots of times, flooding in Houston resulted from poor drainage infrastructure in certain areas, which, upon improvement, caused cessation of such flooding. The natural bayou landscape around Houston is also seeing revitalization, where the bayous are being returned to their natural, verdant state, allowing for effective draining of the water, reducing flood concerns.

Truly extreme floods, like those seen in Allison, are not routine in Houston. Dallas and Tyler also have their share of flood events as well.

Idk...the phrase run of the mill and the word flooding just never went together for me...i could see where those two concepts would make sense down here in houston, but in any other region of the country ive lived in, flooding, by definition wasnt run of the mill...it was in fact considered the very antithesis of run of the mill...and i cant speak for Dallas, but i couldnt possibly make any truthful comparison between the flooding ive experienced in Tyler, to the flooding i experience routinely in Houston. The consequences of the long heavy rains that produce this kind of routine flooding and keeps houston lush and green, as im sure you know, extends even beyond weather patterns and weather events and becomes compounded by Houston's poorly draining soil types.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

- I lived in Houston for more then 20 years. Yes-- there were several occasions where those weather events happened within the same year.

The comment in question was dealing with the question of weather or not the people in Houston would be surprised if every single one of the large variety of weather events named happened in a year. The answer is that they would indeed be surprised, and quite excited at such a year, considering that many are surprised that some of those events even occur at all in the city.

Originally Posted by dalparadise

- Regarding hurricanes: In my 20 or so years, I feel I was adversely affected (both directly and indirectly) by six hurricanes and tropical storms. These adverse affects ranged from closing offices and boarding windows to evacuating, living through multiple occasions of flooding deep enough to kill people, sustaining damage to structures, enduring extended power/water outages (during the most challenging of Houston's fabled paradise-like weather ) and prolonged evacuations in the ensuing panic which also killed people, incidentally, that took 25 hours to travel 200 miles. There's your paradise--people were ****ting on the side of the freeway. Each time it flooded significantly (meaning deep enough to bury typical cars on a freeway) it was listed as a "100-year event". LOL...

6 hurricanes/tropical storms in a twenty year time period would grant a 30% chance of Houston being affected by a hurricane. Thats not really all that high of a chance of even witnessing such a storm, and yet you people talk of them as a constant threat to the city.

Hurricane effects are catastrophic, yes, just like any other natural disaster, which every location in the world experiences to some extent, but often times, the storms are often detected well in advance of landfall, which can give people plenty of time to prepare, fortify their homes, stock up, etc, or evacuate(with efficiency having increased since Rita), often sparing many lives from the adverse effects.

Originally Posted by dalparadise

-The fact that Houston is affected by both continental and coastal influences puts it at the mercy of being the worst of two worlds. It gets both continental fronts and Gulf moisture. The collision point of these two factors, somewhere in the middle of Houston, is an extremely volatile severe weather-maker. It doesn't take a hurricane or tropical system to produce rain events that flood Houston to dangerous, life-threatening degrees. I have been stranded on an overpass, surrounded by rising brown, soupy water, while half-flooded cars burned and there was no light because power was out for miles around, in a "regular" Texas storm that was not tropical at all.

-The temperature swings range from upper 90s (to 100+) in summer to low 30s & 20s in winter. Factor in extreme humidity and the perceived temperature ranges from 105-28. That's extreme by any measure. It's incredibly uncomfortable, compared to somewhere like SF, where the yearly range is more like 75-50.

Actually, the coastal influences are the dominant influences in Houston, as the primary wind flow of the city is from the Southeast, which brings the Gulf influence. The continental influences come into the mix only during the cool season, when cold fronts can start affecting the weather. Such a combination of both influences you describe occurs in the entire Eastern US, and on the eastern side of every continent on Earth, not just Houston. This is due to the fact that prevailing winds, which bring oceanic influence, move from west to east, allowing the western locations to have 100% oceanic locations. In more subtropical, especially coastal, locales on the east sides, like Houston, those continental influences moderate, due to the lower latitude heat, and the oceanic moisture. As a result, while eastern locations on continents can be more extreme temp wise than western locations of the same latitude, the oceanic moderation still has an effect, making it so that temp swings are on the less extreme side still.

I agree with you that the collision of coastal air, with continental fronts can stall the fronts, with the moisture contributing to flooding rains if held in place too long. However, such occurrences, the regular storms" as you put it, happen almost everywhere, not just Houston.

The actual temps swings you describe for Houston, from summer highs of upper 90s , to 30s and upper 20s for winter extreme lows, are not really severe at all relative to much of the country, where the same degree of heat, or higher, can be experienced, only for winter lows to be much colder, into teens, single digits, and subzero temps. The temp swings I listed for Houston apply only for the official weather station, IAH anyways; the range in more moderate in the city center itself, where the range decreases from mid 90s in summer to low 30s in winter, and moderates even more by the time you get to Galveston, to the point that summer temps struggle to breach the 90s, and many years can pass without freezing temps.

In conclusion? Yes, the Houston area has a larger temp range than San Francisco(which does, by the way, have a yearly range more extreme than just 75-50, especially in some of the micro-climates) but, relative to much of the country, the temp range is still on the smaller, more comfortable side. Weather in Houston is no different than that of the other parts of the Coastal South, as well as that of other subtropical cities of the world, often considered paradise by many. I am describing Houston, and the Coastal South for what it is: a nice, warm subtropical region with plentiful rain, decent sunshine, with all the allure of the tropics captured during summer, followed by mild winters. Lush, evergreen flora is abundant. I will say, though, that the subtropical climate is not for those like you who are unwilling to handle a bit of humidity, as well as the epic beauty of the tropical-style summer thunderstorms. For that, I am glad you found your own climactic paradise (Russian Hills), and many people would agree on its weather. Many other people, and myself, have an affinity towards the subtropical climate of Houston and the rest of the Coastal South.

Originally Posted by soletaire

Idk...the phrase run of the mill and the word flooding just never went together for me...i could see where those two concepts would make sense down here in houston, but in any other region of the country ive lived in, flooding, by definition wasnt run of the mill...it was in fact considered the very antithesis of run of the mill...and i cant speak for Dallas, but i couldnt possibly make any truthful comparison between the flooding ive experienced in Tyler, to the flooding i experience routinely in Houston. The consequences of the long heavy rains that produce this kind of routine flooding and keeps houston lush and green, as im sure you know, extends even beyond weather patterns and weather events and becomes compounded by Houston's poorly draining soil types.

Its really the sprawling design of Houston that contributes to making flooding in the city as bad as it is; all that sprawl replaces or decreases the area the natural, water-draining landscape, decreasing the efficiency of drainage. It would be much more efficient for Houston to become a more dense, urban city, that way, more of the natural landscape would be preserved to efficiently drain the flood waters. Thankfully, city leaders have picked up on that, and are revitalizing the bayous and water ways of the city, and encouraging dense, urban development.

[hornraider]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

I think Austin-San Antonio has my favorite weather in Texas. It still gets stupid hot and is a bit humid, but it does cool down most nights. It doesn't usually rain enough, but when it does, it's a big one.

My level of adaptation to Texas weather in Houston reached the point that I would grow tired of the gray, humid, cool (sometimes cold) winter and get excited for our pool water to hit 80 degrees in Spring. That was my threshold to swim. That would take me through mid June or so. By August and September I was dying for relief from the onslaught of heat, humidity, mosquitoes and frequent storms. I adapted and found ways to make the best of it, but it was far from conducive to outdoor activities.

I didn't like feeling sticky right out of the shower. I didn't like always sweating with the top down while driving. My glasses would fog every time I walked outside. I hated that nights didn't really cool off, and in fact, seemed warmer and stickier. I also hated the extremes of moldy, soupy days, or blazing hot, dry days for months in a row with no respite. I rode out a couple of tropical storms and hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, droughts, three or four "hundred-year flood events," where people died, etc. in Houston, too. It's wasn't boring, I'll give you that.

I do recall the few odd weekends in Houston's Spring or Fall that there would be the Westheimer Art Festival or something like that going on and the city would come alive because it would be so beautiful--clear, sunny, cool and perfect.

I lived in Dallas for a couple of years and found it to be the worst weather imaginable. I'll concede that I liked how some nights would be cooler than I was used to in Houston. It's definitely drier humidity-wise than Houston, but it's hotter, stormier and more extreme on either end. I was convinced that I was witnessing the seven signs of the coming apocalypse, living through Dallas weather.

I live in Russian Hill, San Francisco now, and we have those "perfect" sunny, cool days consistently 8-9 months of the year. The other days it's a mix of either foggy, rainy, or hot (80s, but dry), spread out among the other 3-4 months with rarely more than a few days the same during that time. It's better for me.

Dude, do you actually think Austin and Dallas have that different of weather? You do realize that Dallas is 200 miles to the north and is almost always the same or a little cooler than Austin, and especially San Antonio. Not to mention it is ALWAYS slightly less humid, being further from the gulf. The only times there are differences between Dallas and Austin is when frontal boundaries cross one city before hitting the other. And yes, sometimes fronts stall out between the two, resulting in rain in 1 city and not the other. It seems to happen more frequently between Austin and San Antonio; rather than Austin and Dallas. I've lived in both, and have never seen Austin and Dallas at more than 5 degrees apart in temps (summer or winter), for more than a couple days. I think its geographically impossible.

And you probably weren't around when Jarrell (30 miles north of Austin) was flattened by one of the worst tornadoes in Texas history.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by hornraider

Dude, do you actually think Austin and Dallas have that different of weather? You do realize that Dallas is 200 miles to the north and is almost always the same or a little cooler than Austin, and especially San Antonio. Not to mention it is ALWAYS slightly less humid, being further from the gulf. The only times there are differences between Dallas and Austin is when frontal boundaries cross one city before hitting the other. And yes, sometimes fronts stall out between the two, resulting in rain in 1 city and not the other. It seems to happen more frequently between Austin and San Antonio; rather than Austin and Dallas. I've lived in both, and have never seen Austin and Dallas at more than 5 degrees apart in temps (summer or winter), for more than a couple days. I think its geographically impossible.

And you probably weren't around when Jarrell (30 miles north of Austin) was flattened by one of the worst tornadoes in Texas history.

You misread what I wrote. My gripes about humidity were pointed at Houston, as it is clearly the worst. All are miserably humid by West Coast standards.

I haven't lived in Austin, but I did spend a lot of time there, as that's where my wife lived while we were dating and I lived in Houston. I'll concede that Austin could often get "Dallas hot," but it never seemed as stormy as Dallas (I also lived there for awhile) to me.

Anyway, I by no means meant to suggest that Austin weather is pleasant. You're right. Its weather is usually as awful as the rest of Texas. I found it a shade of terrible lighter, is all.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

You misread what I wrote. My gripes about humidity were pointed at Houston, as it is clearly the worst. All are miserably humid by West Coast standards.

I haven't lived in Austin, but I did spend a lot of time there, as that's where my wife lived while we were dating and I lived in Houston. I'll concede that Austin could often get "Dallas hot," but it never seemed as stormy as Dallas (I also lived there for awhile) to me.

Anyway, I by no means meant to suggest that Austin weather is pleasant. You're right. Its weather is usually as awful as the rest of Texas. I found it a shade of terrible lighter, is all.

Mmmmmm, love me some northeast Texas weather - and I'm glad there's plenty of room in other parts of the state, or other states for those who don't care for it. Everybody wins!

[hornraider]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

You misread what I wrote. My gripes about humidity were pointed at Houston, as it is clearly the worst. All are miserably humid by West Coast standards.

I haven't lived in Austin, but I did spend a lot of time there, as that's where my wife lived while we were dating and I lived in Houston. I'll concede that Austin could often get "Dallas hot," but it never seemed as stormy as Dallas (I also lived there for awhile) to me.

Anyway, I by no means meant to suggest that Austin weather is pleasant. You're right. Its weather is usually as awful as the rest of Texas. I found it a shade of terrible lighter, is all.

Yeah, it does take some getting used to with the heat AND humidity so high. I came from central CA and I really miss the weather, especially in San Luis Obispo, where the weather is absolutely perfect IMO. I don't mind the humidity in Dallas that much anymore, but it gets noticeably higher in Houston and even more-so in Louisiana. But I'll take that any day over snow. I think Sacramento also has some great weather.