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Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil75230
Dallas doesn't get that much snow any more - certainly not like in the 20th century. I know because I grew up in a similar climate, only a bit wetter (northern Louisiana). Since 2002, I have seen only two major winter precipitation events (2010 and 2011), maybe there were some other smaller ones during my holiday visits, but they didn't have any impact to speak of. These days, winters aren't particularly that cold here any more. Only occasionally will the temperature drop below freezing at all. However, there is still seasonality, only it's different from the Midwest notion of it. Instead of snowy winters and warm to hot summers, we get cool-to-slightly chilly winters and a six week period of VERY hot summers (usually from mid July to the last of August, what I personally call "high summer" - my personal term for it, not a popular widespread term).
Anyway, Houston is warmer, but it's also more humid and is subject to hurricanes. So that tilts me toward Dallas.
Dallas still gets cold, I was just there from March 1st to the 5th, and highs were only in the 30s and 40s with lows in the 20s, in fact, with a high of 32°F and low of 21°F on the 4th! The averages that day were 66°F/44°F, so that's a pretty extreme deviation!
Dallas still gets cold, I was just there from March 1st to the 5th, and highs were only in the 30s and 40s with lows in the 20s, in fact, with a high of 32°F and low of 21°F on the 4th! The averages that day were 66°F/44°F, so that's a pretty extreme deviation!
A freezing high temp in March... doesn't sound very Subtropical to me
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,594,858 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deneb78
A freezing high temp in March... doesn't sound very Subtropical to me
It was a record low max to be fair, and the low was 1°F above the record low. Dallas is at the far northern end of what I consider subtropical in the central part of the country, Paris, TX and Ardmore, OK to the north I consider temperate transistional
Just spent Jul 2017 to Jan 2019 in Houston and been in Dallas since January. I should really get a proper feel for Dallas summers soon. It's tough to say which is really worse. Humidity in Dallas (and much of Texas) can be worse than people think. Dewpoints above 70 definitely aren't as common as Houston, but it's not unheard of. Plus more 100+ days and low temps at Love Field are actually more in line with Hobby's and warmer than IAH.
Summer is definitely shorter in Dallas which isn't a surprise. I remember last September/October and in Houston we were just dying to get that first bout of cooler, dry air. Not even like 40s, just the 60s. I lived near KSGR (Sugarland) and after May 17 with a low of 68, we didn't drop below 70 again until October 10th and that was a low of 67. DAL had already dropped into the low 60s in September and 50s by October. Advantage Dallas.
But then a few weeks later, Dallas was stuck in the 40s and 50s while Houston was in the upper 60s which I definitely prefer. And obviously, winters are warmer in Houston though it can still get chilly.
Now, one thing that I think gets overlooked due to the season, is the humidity in Houston outside of summer. If you get south winds off the gulf, it's gonna get muggy. Obviously a muggy 70 isn't as bad as a muggy 90, but it can still be noticeable. Shortly after I moved to Dallas, the temp there and in Houston was around 71/72 on the same day. But, in Dallas the dewpoint was sitting at 60 with clear skies while Houston was at 70 and mostly cloudy. I was glad to be in Dallas at that time, it absolutely feels better and was a prettier day. It also makes a difference in the 80s. I remember a lot of days in Houston in the 80s but that were pretty humid. South winds off the gulf, dewpoints upper 60s/low 70s, plenty of sweating if you're doing anything outside. But here in Dallas so far, we've had a lot of days in the 80s that have been very dry and very comfortable. In fact, most of our warm days so far have been dry. I can only think of one time where a system actually brought substantial moisture up this far. But in Houston, a lot of warm days also come with higher humidity which makes them less enjoyable.
It seems the 60s are already gone for the next few months here near Houston for me. No 90s yet, but lots of upper 80s and yesterday was the start of overnight lows staying above 70 for the next week. This is happening around 40 miles north of Houston in which the peak average low temperature is about 73F. I agree fully on what you said about Dallas, and also yeah I remember that period in late September and early October where it was pretty warm at night that late into the year. Although, my area did go below 70F a few mornings during the first week of August 2018.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,594,858 times
Reputation: 9169
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neptunepenguins
It seems the 60s are already gone for the next few months here near Houston for me. No 90s yet, but lots of upper 80s and yesterday was the start of overnight lows staying above 70 for the next week. This is happening around 40 miles north of Houston in which the peak average low temperature is about 73F. I agree fully on what you said about Dallas, and also yeah I remember that period in late September and early October where it was pretty warm at night that late into the year. Although, my area did go below 70F a few mornings during the first week of August 2018.
Only for college for part of the year. I come back to this raging hell hole in the summer! Houston actually isn't all that bad in my opinion, but I did enjoy the winter up there though!
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,594,858 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMI
Both bad ....El Paso has the best climate in Texas.
I chose Dallas, a bit less humid and cooler winter.
Still can grow hardy palms, I think it is in zone 8a.
Houston is much better for palms than Dallas. I'm telling you the only palms I've ever seen in Dallas are an occasional sable planted outside an In n Out Burger or some individual plantings in peoples yards. They aren't wide spread like in Houston
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