Is dry heat overrated?/Houston/El Paso humidity? (Los Angeles, Santa Ana: apartment, luxury)

[Marv101]

Perfectly stated--those stats I posted regarding the average numbers for August came from National and Local Weather Forecast, Hurricane, Radar and Report, one of several irrefutable weather sites out there.

Historically speaking, downtown LA (actually the USC campus, where the official NWS weather station has been since 1999) as well as Irvine will both be essentially bone-dry for the next seven months, at least through Halloween.

[markymark12]

I know this is really late by many, many, months but, having lived in the IE, Irvine, Houston and Austin, I learned what everyone here has seemed to have missed. It's not the humidity stupid, it's the DEWPOINT!!
In Houston the temp. can be 85dg., 70% hum. and a dewpoint of 65dg. When you go outside, you can't breathe the air is so thick with moisture.
In Irvine, 85dg., 70% hum., dewpoint of 45dg., and what you have is a gorgeous day.
That's the difference. Read up on the 'dewpoint'.

[JohnSoCal]

I lived in SE Florida for 8 years, San Diego for 20+ years, Phoenix for 5 years, San Francisco Bay area for several years, Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela. I have now been living in the Temecula Valley for the past 10 years. There is no question that dry heat is much more comfortable. Florida was just downright miserable. We had to run the A/C when it was only 75 degrees because of the humidity. Here it is very comfortable to sit outside in 90 degree weather.

Actually the best weather I have experienced was living in Caracas Venezuela which has low humidity and is a pretty constant 80-85 in the day all year. For SoCal, we prefer the climate inland where we live now because it is drier and sunnier than the coast. It can get pretty hot in the summer but not brutally hot like Phoenix or Las Vegas. We like the heat. The dry heat argument goes out the window when the temperature passes 105-110. Being in 115 degree heat with the wind blowing is like standing in front of blast furnace. There is no doubt that Southern California does enjoy excellent weather. The central coast and the San Jose metro area are pretty good as well.

[GoldCountry80]

Originally Posted by leonard

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.

I call BS. For starters what idiot showers every 5 minutes? If you're working on a car, you stay out there and finish it.. getting hot comes with the territory and humidity can cool you off in the process if you get too wet. People like you are going to contribute to another water shortage wherever you are now living so stop it!

[GoldCountry80]

Originally Posted by malamute

Dry heat makes all the difference in the world. If it's 95 degrees in El Paso, it's very pleasant and you can do anything outdoors you would like, 95 degrees in humid places feels a whole lot hotter. A good rule of thumb is to subtract 15 to 20 degrees when talking about desert heat.

Not true at all. Dry heat is still unpleasant, even at 95. Stop talking already Jesus. Give me humidity anyday. I find little difference in comfort levels and at least humidity cools you off if you are hot possibly enabling you to continue.

[GoldCountry80]

Originally Posted by JohnSoCal

I lived in SE Florida for 8 years, San Diego for 20+ years, Phoenix for 5 years, San Francisco Bay area for several years, Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela. I have now been living in the Temecula Valley for the past 10 years. There is no question that dry heat is much more comfortable. Florida was just downright miserable. We had to run the A/C when it was only 75 degrees because of the humidity. Here it is very comfortable to sit outside in 90 degree weather.

Actually the best weather I have experienced was living in Caracas Venezuela which has low humidity and is a pretty constant 80-85 in the day all year. For SoCal, we prefer the climate inland where we live now because it is drier and sunnier than the coast. It can get pretty hot in the summer but not brutally hot like Phoenix or Las Vegas. We like the heat. The dry heat argument goes out the window when the temperature passes 105-110. Being in 115 degree heat with the wind blowing is like standing in front of blast furnace. There is no doubt that Southern California does enjoy excellent weather. The central coast and the San Jose metro area are pretty good as well.

Ummm..no.

[JohnSoCal]

Originally Posted by GoldCountry80

Ummm..no.

Ummm..yes

You seem to be the only one that prefers high humidity which is your choice to make.

[GoldCountry80]

Originally Posted by JohnSoCal

Ummm..yes

You seem to be the only one that prefers high humidity which is your choice to make.

I just don't see dry heat as being so much cooler.. I really don't even with no humidity. You sweat either way. I was sitting still outside for 20 minutes and my arms were getting damp. You get hot either way, it just might happen a little faster in FL. Moisture wins to me also the rain showers that cools it all off. I am not in SoCal, I am in Sacramento area and post on here from time to time.

[HBsteve]

Originally Posted by GoldCountry80

I find little difference in comfort levels and at least humidity cools you off if you are hot possibly enabling you to continue.

Humidity does not cool you off. In humid weather, sweat builds up on your skin. Your body's cooling mechanism is not able to do its job well because all the moisture in the air limits the evaporation of sweat. In a dry climate, sweat evaporates and is gone - your body's cooling mechanism working as it's supposed to.

As other posters have said, dry heat is more tolerable, and it is for this reason. And as markymark12 said, the dew point is the most useful measure of comfort. A couple weeks ago when we had really uncomfortable, sticky weather in SoCal, I checked the dew point and it was 71. That is very high for SoCal but in Houston or Miami that would be a pleasantly dry day.

[k374]

I think OC is worse because everyone here pretends it isn't hot when infact it can get smoldering hot in the summer. I've seen temps reach 95F and I live 2 miles from the beach LOL. The worst part about it is that none of the apartments here have AC and it can get uncomfortable. In other parts of the country people have AC since the climate is anticipated to get hot.

Per weather.com right now:

Atlanta, GA: Temp - 75F, Humidity - 72%, Dew point - 66F

Irvine, CA: Temp - 69F, Humidity - 76%, Dew point - 61F

Perfect weather in Irvine, NOT!!! rather, far from perfect! Just marginally better than Atlanta at the moment. Southern CA weather is definitely good overall but it is astronomically overrated and over hyped. By what people describe one would imagine the weather here is a paragon of perfection that rivals a laboratory setting.