sun worship (Austin, El Paso, Center: how much, statistics, radio)

[ILikeSmartHippies]

I like sunshine. it is second on my list of "I wants" only to sleeping.

I was surprised to find austin is only 115/365 on this list:

[CENTER][SIZE=4]Number of Sunny Days a Year[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[CENTER][SIZE=3]Sorted from Most to Least Number of Sunny Days[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[SIZE=2]* This does not include Partly Sunny or Partly Cloudy days.[/SIZE]

World Facts and Figures - Weather Facts and Statistics


However. SF somehow made it high on this list and I wouldnt think of SF as that sunny (more like.. highly FOGGY and GREY ).

Anyone want to shoot down the list with a local based opinion?

Is it because austin has lots of "cloudy then rains quick and clears up" days or more "a little grey but sun still filters through" days? Which is actually OK in my opinion, because there's still sunshine. Or is it more like "cloudy for days on end in which it seems like the end of the world is near until sunshine finally breaks out and scares the vampires away" days?

EL PASO, TX is #6 on this list. Which I guess could make sense from the "full whole days of sunshine" score.

[iceshots]

Originally Posted by ILikeSmartHippies

Is it because austin has lots of "cloudy then rains quick and clears up" days or more "a little grey but sun still filters through" days?

Austin does not have a lot of rain days, quick or not. At least this year.

The sunny days are one of the reasons we love it down here. Sure beats the 4 months of winter up north when the only time you see the sun is when it is -20 outside.

Full cloud, overcast days are rare. However there is usually some sort of clouds whipping by somewhere.

Ignore the numbers and rankings. You will get plenty of sun, and PLENTY of heat here.

[hinke]

I just heard on the radio the other day that Austin has 300+ days of sun!

[atxcio]

It's gotta be how they count partly cloudy days. On the OP's list, the most # of sunny days is Yuma, AZ with 242. That would mean it's not sunny in Yuma 123 days a year! How can that be, when it is basically desert and only rains 2.65 inches per year?

Plus, on that list Miami only has 74 sunny days! So how do they all get so tan?

[cabolissa]

Originally Posted by ILikeSmartHippies

I like sunshine. it is second on my list of "I wants" only to sleeping.

I was surprised to find austin is only 115/365 on this list:

[CENTER][SIZE=4]Number of Sunny Days a Year[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Sorted from Most to Least Number of Sunny Days[/SIZE][/CENTER]
[SIZE=2]* This does not include Partly Sunny or Partly Cloudy days.[/SIZE]

World Facts and Figures - Weather Facts and Statistics


However. SF somehow made it high on this list and I wouldnt think of SF as that sunny (more like.. highly FOGGY and GREY ).

Anyone want to shoot down the list with a local based opinion?

Is it because austin has lots of "cloudy then rains quick and clears up" days or more "a little grey but sun still filters through" days? Which is actually OK in my opinion, because there's still sunshine. Or is it more like "cloudy for days on end in which it seems like the end of the world is near until sunshine finally breaks out and scares the vampires away" days?

EL PASO, TX is #6 on this list. Which I guess could make sense from the "full whole days of sunshine" score.

That's a dumb list. According to the OP, * This does not include Partly Sunny or Partly Cloudy days.

[G Grasshopper]

There is no way that San Francisco should be considered high on anyone's sunshine list. Fog and clouds are a way of life there. The weather is moderate, and that's nice, but it isn't a sunshine city.

[kittymama]

I've seen that list as well as heard the over 300 days of sun a year. I think they don't include partly cloudy days - only days with no clouds. One thing you have to remember is the nearer the equator you get, the more intense the sun is and the higher the angle it hits the Earth. That means a cloudy day further south will provide more light than a cloudy day up north. Here in Fairbanks, if it is cloudy in January, it's pretty dark out even during the hours the sun is up (because the sun is low to the ground). There is a difference between a party cloudy day where the clouds drift by and the sun shines off and on all day and a highly overcast day as well. It might be better to look at how much time Austin actually spends being overcast.