Summers in Sarasota area?

[ReachTheBeach]

I'm not going to beat this to death. My point is that while it's hot and humid in the summer, it's comparable to lots of others places that have hot and humid summers. I see a lot of posts warning people about it being unbearable and kids not being able to play outside. Some people don't like the heat and some kids choose not to play outside in it. I agree that if people don't like hot weather they probably shouldn't live in FL. I camped in a canvas pop up with no A/C in July at Ft Wilderness when I was a kid. On most of my trips to FL I stay with family and there is A/C, but I go out and do stuff during the day. Now when it was over 100 here (temps you have never seen in Sarasota) a few days in a row last summer there were usually ozone alerts and I did keep my kids inside. But when the air quality is good they play outside in the 90s even with humidity that is roughly the same as most of FL. Lots of posts seem to imply (or outright state) that the heat and humidity is somehow different/worse that anywhere else. Its duration is, but the intensity of heat on individual summer days is not.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by CarvedTones

I'm not going to beat this to death. My point is that while it's hot and humid in the summer, it's comparable to lots of others places that have hot and humid summers. I see a lot of posts warning people about it being unbearable and kids not being able to play outside. Some people don't like the heat and some kids choose not to play outside in it. I agree that if people don't like hot weather they probably shouldn't live in FL. I camped in a canvas pop up with no A/C in July at Ft Wilderness when I was a kid. On most of my trips to FL I stay with family and there is A/C, but I go out and do stuff during the day. Now when it was over 100 here (temps you have never seen in Sarasota) a few days in a row last summer there were usually ozone alerts and I did keep my kids inside. But when the air quality is good they play outside in the 90s even with humidity that is roughly the same as most of FL. Lots of posts seem to imply (or outright state) that the heat and humidity is somehow different/worse that anywhere else. Its duration is, but the intensity of heat on individual summer days is not.

You are 100% spot on. And I was born and raised in Florida, I have lived without AC before, grew up without it, and our first vintage home in Sarasota had none. We lived in that house for 12 years with only a window unit in the bedroom, NONE anywhere else. And we survived and it really wasn't THAT bad. I really have to roll my eyes at the people on this board that state it is unbearable here 10 months out of the year and how you just can't go outside. I guess some people feel that way, but it's only THEM and not a fact for everyone else. I agree also with carved tones that many places in the south are as bad or worse, I have visited MANY places in summer that felt hotter/more humid than here. We have cousins in NC who were telling us how hot it gets where they are, they hate it and are planning to move.

Plenty of kids play outside, I would venture to say MOST kids play outside all year. And Florida almost never has that polluted haze that many other hot places get - our coastal breezes keep the air fresh!

[ReachTheBeach]

gypsychic,

How long have your cousins been in NC? The air usually isn't as bad as last year. We had a bunch of yellow days and a few red ones (air quality alerts) when we had stretches of high 90s or above. I think the ocean fixes the air here also (it fixes so many things, doesn't it?); I don't think they had the alerts down east. I need some beach time.

[dmccauley]

Originally Posted by CarvedTones

Just curious - where did you live before? I grew up in AL and GA without A/C (except window units in parents room and living room; I slept with a fan in the window) and we often went FL on summer vacations. The temps and humidity are about the same all over the South in the summer (look it up if you don't believe me) but the sea breezes always made it feel cooler at the beach and there was more to do. My siblings and I were outside nearly all day at home or in FL. Of course inside there was only one family TV with 3 or 4 channels (though at one point, we did actually get Pong) and no internet.

I lived and moved back to NJ. The humidity here is not the greatest but at least at nights it cools down during the summer and if your by the water there is usually a nice breeze. In Florida I do believe it all depends on which coast your on. The Atlantic is definetly cooler. I went to Miami during the summer and couldn't believe the difference. It was humid but the the breeze off the ocean made it tolerable.

As far as kids playing outside I guess it all depends on where you live and how many years ago it was. Times have changed. My kids are outside here in NJ all year long.

[dmccauley]

Originally Posted by CarvedTones

I'm not going to beat this to death. My point is that while it's hot and humid in the summer, it's comparable to lots of others places that have hot and humid summers. I see a lot of posts warning people about it being unbearable and kids not being able to play outside. Some people don't like the heat and some kids choose not to play outside in it. I agree that if people don't like hot weather they probably shouldn't live in FL. I camped in a canvas pop up with no A/C in July at Ft Wilderness when I was a kid. On most of my trips to FL I stay with family and there is A/C, but I go out and do stuff during the day. Now when it was over 100 here (temps you have never seen in Sarasota) a few days in a row last summer there were usually ozone alerts and I did keep my kids inside. But when the air quality is good they play outside in the 90s even with humidity that is roughly the same as most of FL. Lots of posts seem to imply (or outright state) that the heat and humidity is somehow different/worse that anywhere else. Its duration is, but the intensity of heat on individual summer days is not.

Just curious have you even lived in Sarasota???? I notice you mention vacations but haven't read anything about living here? I also have to correct you Sarasota has reached temperatures over 100 degrees. As I said I lived there for 5 years and I had spoken to many people that were born and raised there they all seem to say the same thing summers were getting hotter and hotter. I know if you read the average temps that are posted they all seem to say 89 degrees but that doesn't take into consideration the humdity and heat index. I use to sit on my lanai every night and remember my toes were sweating at midnight.