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Just by looking around at some of the responses, I see one concept a lot of people are missing: When you live near the ocean, your summers are much milder. Miami, for example, is freakishly warm during the winter, but really isn't all that hot in the summertime.
Anyway, for most unpleasant weather, Austin, TX, New Orleans, LA, and Columbia, SC all get my votes.
Average high, Miami, FL
Jun:86
Jul: 87
Aug:87
Sep:86
Average High, Columbia, SC
Jun 92
Jul 95
Aug 93
Sep 88
Average High, Houston, TX
Jun 91
Jul 94
Aug 93
Sep 89
Average High, St. Louis, MO
Jun 86
Jul 91
Aug 88
Sep 81
..and for the guy who said Iowa:
Des Moines, IA
Jun 82
Jul 86
Aug 84
Sep 76
Last edited by anonymous; 07-10-2007 at 07:16 AM..
Just by looking around at some of the responses, I see one concept a lot of people are missing: When you live near the ocean, your summers are much milder. Miami, for example, is freakishly warm during the winter, but really isn't all that hot in the summertime.
Anyway, for most unpleasant weather, Austin, TX, New Orleans, LA, and Columbia, SC all get my votes.
Average high, Miami, FL
Jun:86
Jul: 87
Aug:87
Sep:86
Average High, Columbia, SC
Jun 92
Jul 95
Aug 93
Sep 88
Average High, Houston, TX
Jun 91
Jul 94
Aug 93
Sep 89
Average High, St. Louis, MO
Jun 86
Jul 91
Aug 88
Sep 81
..and for the guy who said Iowa:
Des Moines, IA
Jun 82
Jul 86
Aug 84
Sep 76
What?? Have you ever been to Miami in the summer? Or are you just relying on statistics? Having lived there for several years, I assure you a Miami summer is much worse than it is in any northern and most southern cities. Yes, there are breezes near the ocean, but most people there don't live on the beach. And the temperatures are deceiving. 85 in Miami when the dew point if 75 (which is often, in the summer) is mcuh more miserable than 90 in Des Moines when the dew point is 50. The relentless nature of the heat and humidity is another dimension you are overlooking. It is *always* hot and muggy in Miami in the summer. In northern cities, and some southern ones, I'd guess, you get cooler days interspersed with hotter ones, and on many 80 and 90+ days, the evening temps cool off to the 60s.
Death Valley for sure!
Phoenix is the worst, if we're going to stick with populated areas.
Houston is horrible, along with some of the interior deep south areas.
I've only heard rumors about the intense heat and humidity that sometimes occurs in the midwest (Omaha, St. Louis, etc.) --- the highest dew point in US history was recorded somewhere near Omaha, it's because of the occasional stagnant air combined with intense moisture from the croplands.
Stats are pretty meaningless because they always omit the FEELING of a place. The "heat index" used by the National Weather Service isn't accurate. They try to tell you how hot it feels, while omitting important variables like wind, air pressure, air density, cloud cover, and other factors that contribute to what you actually feel.
Even a given place, such as Austin, feels completely different depending on whether you're in a massive parking lot in the sun or hiking on a wooded trail by the water. There's a HUGE difference, and the best way to survive any type of climate is to learn how to enjoy the places that are most comfortable to you in that location.
All that being said, I cannot think of any place I would be able to go outdoors in Phoenix or Houston that wouldn't feel absolutely miserable on a typical summer day. There's no escape other than air conditioning or a swimming pool.
Give me the heat any day over cold. In the hot places in the south you have nice winters, and you still go out and do things like go to the beach during the hot. In places like the Northeast you have the worst of both worlds. Here in New York City the only reliably good weather we have is a couple months in the fall.
This is true, in the Northeast and mid-atlantic the temp tends to change wildly, so it's much easier to get sick than in a place where the temp is more reliable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Around
In northern cities, and some southern ones, I'd guess, you get cooler days interspersed with hotter ones, and on many 80 and 90+ days, the evening temps cool off to the 60s.
Yes, summer here in Texas can be miserable-especially in the triple digits!
I've only been one place in the summer that seemed nice to me-Alaska. If only I could be here in the winter and up there in the summer-don't they call them snowbirds? As for winters- I would say anywhere in the South. DIXIE RULES!
What?? Have you ever been to Miami in the summer? Or are you just relying on statistics? Having lived there for several years, I assure you a Miami summer is much worse than it is in any northern and most southern cities. Yes, there are breezes near the ocean, but most people there don't live on the beach. And the temperatures are deceiving. 85 in Miami when the dew point if 75 (which is often, in the summer) is mcuh more miserable than 90 in Des Moines when the dew point is 50. The relentless nature of the heat and humidity is another dimension you are overlooking. It is *always* hot and muggy in Miami in the summer. In northern cities, and some southern ones, I'd guess, you get cooler days interspersed with hotter ones, and on many 80 and 90+ days, the evening temps cool off to the 60s.
Yes! This is what many people just can't wrap their heads around. It's disgusting here (FL) ALL. SUMMER. LONG. And it extends well into December.
I guess it depends on what you like and can tolerate--I'll take the disgusting humidity over bone-chilling winds, sleet, sludge, dark days, and shovelling snow from a car anyday. It's probably good that not everyone likes the same thing or everyone would be crowded into a the same area of the country!
Quote:
Originally Posted by parasol
Yes! This is what many people just can't wrap their heads around. It's disgusting here (FL) ALL. SUMMER. LONG. And it extends well into December.
I'm not sure I agree with that--I was just there a few days ago and I found it quite bearable. In fact it's worse here now than it was there -- it hit close to 100 degrees today. Summers in the US are basically bad everywhere except for a few places in the far north, and the Pacific NW.
Quote:
Originally Posted by parasol
Yes! This is what many people just can't wrap their heads around. It's disgusting here (FL) ALL. SUMMER. LONG. And it extends well into December.
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A matter of being comfortable
