Austin get really cold like N. Florida? How friendly and walkable?

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by alwaysmiling

I'm no meteorologist but having lived in Leadville, CO and South Padre Island Texas, I can tell you that humidity plays a large part of the "feels like" temperature to the human body. The humidity adds a thickness to the air that makes the temperature affect you more greatly. The higher the humidity the hotter or colder it will feel and the equilibrium you reference is right about 70 degrees. That is the year round temperature of the central valley of Costa Rica which is known to have some of the most perfect weather on earth.

I could totally be wrong about this scientifically but I think that having lived in all of the places I've referenced, I definitely notice that a cold place that has high humidity "feels colder" than a place where it is dry and cold. Something about being cold and wet even if its just the level of humidity and not actual rain makes a difference of about 10 degrees F. So SPI at 42 feels like Leadville at 32, etc... Simply my own 2 cents...

To determine the equlibrium, it has to be seen whether that area of Costa Rica also experiences bone dry spells in addition to humid weather.

Otherwise, the case of South Padre Island definitely falls under the latitudinal homeostasis that I described earlier. That area is about the same latitude as South Florida, just short of the tropical boundary. The only way for chilling cold to occur that far equatorward is with strong cold airmasses coming from the Arctic. That 42F at South Padre is coming with fierce wind chills, along with dank overcast and rain if there's enough moisture. In contrast, the 32F in Leadville can occur in natural condition without any airmass movement. It's never going to be congruent because 42F would be impossible in South Padre without any cold fronts.

[TheseGoTo11]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

We're further south than all of California and even Arizona and our elevation is fairly low too (less than 1,000 feet) but it can still get pretty chilly here.

Remarkable how mountain ranges can block cold air. I'm just south of the 38th parallel in California, further north than Wichita, KS, and we have palm trees everywhere and don't really get cold fronts. Chilly weather usually comes with rain and a Pineapple Express off the Pacific and you feel the wet more than the cold. Wind is rare. The Sierras are like a solid wall against the cold fronts that hit the rest of the country.

One thing I've noticed around Austin is how the palm trees seem to struggle even though the January averages are higher than ours. We had maybe two nights last year below 32 and none below 29. Seems like the temp swings really impact how tropical plants do there.

[graygray]

Originally Posted by ScrappyJoe

The winter "gray" with Austin (and other parts of Texas) is really just a mixed-bag, it varies heavily across a couple years, based on El Nino/La Nina patterns - the former results in drearier, drizzly days, whereas the latter creates wall-to-wall sunshine.

Basically, the winter gray won't be a norm with Texas like it is in Seattle or England, but at the same time, it won't be reliable straight sunshine year-after-year like it would be in, say, South Florida. You have to be keen with ocean cycle indexes to really know what to expect in Texas.



There is no such thing as "humid cold." It's a total myth born out of failure in making congruent comparisons.

There is "humid cold".

[graygray]

Originally Posted by KingHenryFour

Austin winters are fabulous, if you come from Chicago!

True. In summer you can only wear summer clothes, but in winter, you can wear all four seasons clothes.

[graygray]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

There are a lot of days in the 60s and 70s, they are just not all together, but sprinkled throughout the 'winter' .

But mostly windy. Very few nice mild days.

[epiultra]

Its like 80s upper 70s all this week? Normal? When does it get COLD?

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by epiultra

Its like 80s upper 70s all this week? Normal? When does it get COLD?

Sixties tomorrow. We've already had a couple of hard freezes(well ahead of schedule).

Careful what you ask for

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by epiultra

Its like 80s upper 70s all this week? Normal? When does it get COLD?

Were you here two weeks ago?

[epiultra]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Were you here two weeks ago?

No just googled your weather, im worried i may miss the beach but imagine the parks and social scene may make up for it. Hawaii is pretty but nightlife is a joke, i dont know if id miss dating more or the beach because dating is impossible in Hawaii. I dont know if its more fun to be around people watching in Austin or beach watching in Hawaii. To be honest I am drawn to Austin purely for the social aspect that beachtowns dont have.

[cBach]

85 and sun today, 45 and rain tomorrow. Welcome to Austin.