Is the weather always like this in Houston!? (Austin: living, cities)

[aecx2]

This isn't unusual weather for winter, just a little unusual for early - mid December. This is more January/Feb weather for us. Plus, we mostly have short memories and just remember this past winter when we had such fabulous weather. Here's to hoping this passes quickly. It seems we went straight from hot to cold and didn't get our 6 - 8 weeks of moderate temps!

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Originally Posted by vicket

Count your blesings folks...in NE Ohio it's gloomy like this from November to March...only waaaay colder. The sunshine here in the winter is fantastic. I can put up with a few cloudy/rainy days.
On the even brighter side- the cold nights have brought out leaf color that I sure didn't see last year. Golds and reds...it's not quite New England color ...but it's beautiful.

I think you should count your blessing, I'll trade with ya anytime

[jimmy914]

Originally Posted by tstone

Let's not exaggerate. The Pacific northwest is much, MUCH wetter than the South, and areas in the E, NE and midwest are just as wet as us:
http://www.cocorahs.org/media/images/us_precip.png

The trees here pale in comparison compared to the Pac NW, in both green-ness and height. Actually there is no comparison.

It's also fairly sunny here overall:
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/climmaps/persun13.gif

And fairly sunny for December compared to the rest of the US:
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/climmaps/persun12.gif

Overall we don't have it that bad. We're just in a wet & gloomy period. This will be over with temporarily tomorrow.

....and here's the data to (not) back you up.
U.S. cities annual rainfall:

Seattle 38.6"
Portland 37.4"

Houston 44.8"
Atlanta 48.6"
Jackson, MS 52.8"
Jacksonville 52.8"
New Orleans 59.7"
Mobile, AL 64.6"

Some other cities around the U.S.
Boston 43.8"
Chicago 33.3"
Denver 15.3"
Detroit 31.0"
Honolulu 23.5"
NYC 42.8"
Los Angeles 12.1"

You can look up all the cities if you want.... the South is the wettest region in the U.S. collectively.

[AK123]

Here's your updated winter outlook (Brrr!) | SciGuy | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

"December -- currently running about 5 degrees below normal and 2 inches wetter."

So short answer is no... this is a little abnormal.

[Trudysmom]

Gorgeous with sun today.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by jimmy914

....and here's the data to (not) back you up.
U.S. cities annual rainfall:

Seattle 38.6"
Portland 37.4"

Houston 44.8"
Atlanta 48.6"
Jackson, MS 52.8"
Jacksonville 52.8"
New Orleans 59.7"
Mobile, AL 64.6"

Some other cities around the U.S.
Boston 43.8"
Chicago 33.3"
Denver 15.3"
Detroit 31.0"
Honolulu 23.5"
NYC 42.8"
Los Angeles 12.1"

You can look up all the cities if you want.... the South is the wettest region in the U.S. collectively.

I think your numbers are wrong because Houston receives more rainfall than Atlanta. I believe Houston gets like over 50 inches.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by jimmy914

You can look up all the cities if you want.... the South is the wettest region in the U.S. collectively.

Perhaps in rain, but what about snowfall? "Wet" is not just rain -- it's precipitation via snow and ice, too. We get quite a bit of snow here in New England and almost never have drought periods (unlike in TX where long dry stretches are quite common).

[jimmy914]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

Perhaps in rain, but what about snowfall? "Wet" is not just rain -- it's precipitation via snow and ice, too. We get quite a bit of snow here in New England and almost never have drought periods (unlike in TX where long dry stretches are quite common).

Annual precipitation figures include snowfall.... keeping in mind that up to a foot of snow can equal just an inch of precipitation.... it's pretty fluffy stuff.

Yes, we sometimes have "drought" periods, but not what would be considered a drought further west. It's a drought to us because our tropical plants start dying of thirst. Two weeks without rain here and it's a drought. But then again, we can also get 30 inches of rain in one day to make up for it.

I have also seen the rainfall totals that put Houston's average closer to 60 inches.... but the easily accessible comparison figures said forty-something, so I just went with that.

[SAFLTX]

Originally Posted by texas7

I like the sun and warmth -- if I wanted cold winters, I'd live elsewhere.

Agreed 100%!!

[SAFLTX]

Originally Posted by jimmy914

This is not unusual weather at all for Houston. If you think it is, then you have probably only lived here a couple of years. Cold fronts stall over us when they hit the warm air over the gulf, and can spit rain for days. The South, especially near the Gulf Coast, is the wettest region in the U.S. I believe our annual average rainfall is nearly double that of Seattle. A previous poster said fog was unusual here.... either you don't live in Houston, or you never get up before noon. We can have morning fog for weeks on end. Anybody that told you it was sunny all the time here, or anywhere in the South, was misleading you. Look around, everything is green, that means it rains a lot here. If you want sun all the time, you have to move west, where everything is dead and brown.

Yes, I have lived in Houston for a very short time and that's why I am shocked by this weather. But actually not all the south is like this. Comming from Florida (the South) I can say winters in the Sunshine state are muuuuchh nicer than here. It gets chilly, but no bone freezing. And the days are blue, with no clouds in the sky. That's the type of winter I enjoy. Not foggy, cloudy, rainny, gray, and freezing. If I wanted that, I'd be living in Seattle or London. But I am in Texas and expected something different.

I guess I have no choice but get used to it...

By the way... Why is it that on the same day, Austin is beautiful and blue, and Houston is foggy and gray and ugly?? (I mean the weather, obviously)