[phoenixcouple]

Very tired of the long, hot dry summers in Phoenix and considering retiring to either Tulsa or OKC. Which has the best weather of the two?

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by phoenixcouple

Very tired of the long, hot dry summers in Phoenix and considering retiring to either Tulsa or OKC. Which has the best weather of the two?

Very similar weather. Tulsa is usually wetter but I'm sure OKC has even had wetters years on occasion. They are only about 90 miles apart so there really isn't much of a difference to be honest.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Nameless

Very similar weather. Tulsa is usually wetter but I'm sure OKC has even had wetters years on occasion. They are only about 90 miles apart so there really isn't much of a difference to be honest.

Nameless hit the nail on the head.

Tulsa can be a tad more humid because it seems to have thicker foliage/tree cover throughout the city compared to OK City.

On the whole, however, there really isn't that much difference. To be perfectly honest, if you're looking for a break from the heat I don't know if OK City or Tulsa would be much of a reprieve for you.

[Goodpasture]

There's a lot more hot air in OKC when the legislature is in session............

[nightbird47]

I live about halfway inbetween and came from the inland empire area of socal a year ago. I know this summer is said to be cooler than normal but the part where it was normal was still cooler than the IE and certainly Phoenix. The weather varies here too where in the socal area through the desert areas out to Arizona its pretty much the same. Where I lived the humidity was high for socal, and once in a while I really noticed it here, but overall the result was less miserable than a typical Riverside summer. For someone used to low humidity it will be something unfamiliar. But it isn't constant and cools off earlier in the year than in the west.

[Emery'sMommy]

Okc is a little drier and temps may be a few degrees warmer than Tulsa. But not enough to make a huge difference. While it does get over 100 here for weeks every summer, it's nothing like Phoenix. Plus we have seasons here and the best weather (IMO) is in spring & fall. I love the cool breezes and break from the heat. However, winters here are so depressing with the dead trees/grass. I grew up in Houston so having cold winters (although not cold compared to the Midwest/east) took some getting used to.

Okc also gets more tornadoes if that's something you're concerned about. Also, okc is more likely to have an ice storm than Tulsa b/c of it being a few degrees warmer in the winter. Just some things to think about besides the heat;-)

[swake]

Oklahoma City is a little warmer, and gets about 20% less rain (42 inches vs 37 inches per year), but the biggest difference is wind. Tulsa's hills and trees really cut down on the wind. OKC can rival Chicago on wind.

[phoenixcouple]

Thanks for all the weather info.With all the other posts about the green trees and hills of Tulsa I think it has the edge. One other city I've considered is San Antonio. Anybody have thoughts on this place? It can not be worse than Phoenix.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by phoenixcouple

Very tired of the long, hot dry summers in Phoenix and considering retiring to either Tulsa or OKC. Which has the best weather of the two?

I hope you are thinking of OK for more than the summer weather. If not you will be back in Phoenix by next fall. I have homes in both places and spend a fair amount of the year near Tahlequah (SE of Tulsa). OK summers will just take the life out of you compared to Phoenix hard as that may seem to believe. The humidity is awful to a Phoenician and the temps are not all that cooler either. On the other side of it, there are trees and shade much more so than PHX and that is a big help, it cools off a little better at night, there are occasional (rare) breaks and the hot season is shorter. But you better like to sweat, because you won't stop from July till September.

As for spring and fall, yes, lovely, but it seems like the TV is constantly going with severe weather warnings and tornado warnings - especially spring. They do everything naming counties and little towns you never heard of so you have no idea if its time to run for the ditch or kick back. Lots of sleepless nights till you get used to it and ignore it like the locals seem to do.

I go there for the water - the lakes and water recreation. It is not nearly as overrun as the Phoenix area lakes are and the sun - because of shade and clouds seems no where near as brutal when you are out on the lake.

There's a lot to love about OK, but summer heat and humidity is not one of those things.

As far as OKC versus Tulsa, they may be close to each other but there is a distinct difference in vegetation over those few miles. Tulsa is "green country" and OKC is the plains. Lots more trees and water in the Tulsa area. On the other hand, to me as a visitor, OKC seems to have a lot more "stuff" and things to do. It reminds me more of a western city than Tulsa which seems to have the east coast vibe to it.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by Emery'sMommy

Okc is a little drier and temps may be a few degrees warmer than Tulsa. But not enough to make a huge difference. While it does get over 100 here for weeks every summer, it's nothing like Phoenix. Plus we have seasons here and the best weather (IMO) is in spring & fall. I love the cool breezes and break from the heat. However, winters here are so depressing with the dead trees/grass. I grew up in Houston so having cold winters (although not cold compared to the Midwest/east) took some getting used to.

Okc also gets more tornadoes if that's something you're concerned about. Also, okc is more likely to have an ice storm than Tulsa b/c of it being a few degrees warmer in the winter. Just some things to think about besides the heat;-)

I'll dispute this comment on the ice storms completely. How long have you lived here? Nearly every ice storm OKC gets Tulsa gets as well. It's temperatures in the upper levels, it has nothing to do with the temperature at ground level. It could be 20 and have an ice storm.

As for OKC "rivaling" Chicago on wind as was said earlier. It doesn't just rival, it surpasses Chicago. But really, the wind, tornadoes, heat, all of it is all overrated. As others have said though if you're looking for relief from the Phoenix heat, I'd really look elsewhere.