Is dry heat overrated?/Houston/El Paso humidity? (San Diego, Santa Ana: mold, smog)

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Haowen Wong

my mother (who has been to Houston in the summer) said that Houston was HOT but not that humid.

Would someone please tell me how Houston and El Paso stacks up to Hong Kong/LA and whether dry heat is overrated in your opinion!

If your mother says Houston isn't humid in the summer, then Houston isn't humid in the summer.




Here's a great website for comparing

City Climate Comparisons


Government sourced data - public domain.

Average High




Afternoon Humidity

[jhawktx]

As one who lives in Houston and vacations annually in summer in OC, I can tell you the comfort index in Houston is much worse. On a typical summer day when the high is 95 degrees, you will be VERY uncomfortable if you are in Houston.

[barbara.g]

Dry heat in LA is manageable. It wont give to too much of a trouble. Too much of humidity keeps you sticky and sweaty throughout the day. It makes afternoons absolutely uncomfortable. It also depends on body type, some people prefer humidity over dry heat. LA is more or less consistent in its sunny desert like climate. So if you get used to it, its going to be fine.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by Haowen Wong

Hello, I am from Irvine, a suburb 65 km/40 miles southwest of Los Angeles.

The summers there are very hot (often topping 35 C or 95 F) but the humidity is very low, averaging at 20%. I think the heat is intolerable here! In Hong Kong, it often reached 35 C and the humidity was on average 96% (reaching 100% occasionally) but the heat was better than Las Vegas, at 42 C (110 F) and very low humidity.

I have heard people claim that dry heat feels much more comfortable than humid heat because you sweat less. I certainly did sweat profusely in Hong Kong, but at least there was some ocean breeze and shade from clouds, whereas in Irvine/Las Vegas there is NO SHADE, NO CLOUDS, and NO BREEZE. The sunlight was immensely painful; it was like being barbequed, and I still sweated profusely.That's why I think dry heat is overrated.

Stereotypically, Texas is desert, but now I know that only the El Paso area has dry heat. I've heard Houston is humid. Is it as humid as Miami? Hong Kong?

I've heard someone say that they didn't want to get off the plane in Houston due to the humidity. Then, my mother (who has been to Houston in the summer) said that Houston was HOT but not that humid.

FYI, during the summer, Hong Kong averages 96% humidity in the daytime, reaching 100% w/o rain sometimes, and 85% is considered a "comfortable" level. It takes a miracle for the humidity to drop below 85%!

Would someone please tell me how Houston and El Paso stacks up to Hong Kong/LA and whether dry heat is overrated in your opinion!

I've been to Hong Kong and I'd say I definitely prefer the dry heat although the temperatures here can be less predictable on the upside between June and September while it's more consistent in HK. Then again, air conditioning makes me uncomfortable so I tend to avoid it and use fans and an evaporative cooler unless the heat is unbearable.

[Coldjensens]

One thing I have learned. If yo open your car windows in humid heat, it cools you off. If you open car windows in dry heat, it is like a convection oven - you just cook more evenly.

However overall dry heat is more tolerable excpet that you burn more easily and your skin can get dried out.

[Marv101]

It's no contest; I've lived in LA for almost 60 years, but when I took my first major vacation in mid-July, I chose Denver, Houston & San Antonio. Denver was delightful, but the other two were oppressively hot & miserable, although San Antonio's Riverwalk is a great area for walking and relaxing, but not when it's 90 degrees with 70% humidity at 10 PM, and that also applies to Houston.

irvine's weather during the summer is as close to perfection as you can get; low to mid-80s during the day, with an occassional Santa Ana winds which sends the mercury into the 90s, and upper 50's to low 60's at night.

Vegas during the summer is flat-out miserable during the summer; it might as well be right next to Houston or San Antonio.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Marv101

Vegas during the summer is flat-out miserable during the summer; it might as well be right next to Houston or San Antonio.

But it's a dry heat.

[leonard]

Originally Posted by barbara.g

Dry heat in LA is manageable. It wont give to too much of a trouble. Too much of humidity keeps you sticky and sweaty throughout the day. It makes afternoons absolutely uncomfortable. It also depends on body type, some people prefer humidity over dry heat. LA is more or less consistent in its sunny desert like climate. So if you get used to it, its going to be fine.

Yep as a native Califo0rnian now livi8ng in a humid State, dry is definitely better.

Hey, in So Cal I could work on my car for hours. Where I am now, I work for 5 minutes, change clothes, work for 5 minutes change clothes, etc . Humidity is OK if you are doing basically nothing requiring the flexing of a muscle. Dry heat is far better to work in, though only work you enjoy.

[LVKim8]

Well, I grew up in Miami, lived in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, visited OC, and now I'm in Texas, so I can say I've experienced pretty much all of the weather you're talking about. OC is the winner HANDS DOWN. I can hardly tolerate visits to Florida in the summer, it is so humid. Las Vegas is tolerable with its dry heat, until it gets over 105 and then I don't care how dry it is, it's Hot! The 110's are tough to take for anyone.

Texas varies with the Houston area being the worst since there's no ocean breeze to help. Hong Kong can feel worse because you're surrounded (mostly) by high-rises but it's pretty urban, so it possible to be inside a lot during the day. The San Antonio area is not as humid but with so many days over 100 this summer, Vegas was starting to look good. Bottom line, OC is the best (hoping to move there soon!)

[Clodius et Claudius.]

Irvine barely has any ocean breeze either.