Humidity in Austin TX compared to WI? (San Antonio, Howe: home, organic)

[sieren]

I've lived in Wisconsin (Appleton-Fox valley area) all my life, and it gets preeeetty humid here during the summer. I've heard that it does get humid in Austin TX, but the general consensus seems to be that its not quite as bad as it gets in the midwest.
I was wondering if someone who has been both places could give me thier opinion on how the two places compare humidity-wise? If Austin is a little less humid than WI, then I think I wouldn't mind the higher summer temps as much.
I would like to move somewhere where the weather is good for outdoor acitvities year-round. However, I don't want to just switch too cold of winters for too hot of summers, you know?
Also, how is Austin for gardening? I would love to be able to have a vegtable garden year round! Can you grow warm-weather fruits like orange, peach and fig trees?
Thanks!!

[pinda]

I am also considering moving to Austin, Sarasota or San Antonio. I have only visited Austin, so I can only tell you what I have seen or heard.

Humidity, they told me too that it is not as humid as WI, but the charts seem to say it is a bit more humid. The posts I read, say it is mostly morning humidity and get drier in the afternoon. When I was there this past March, I was surprised to feel humidity. The weather was gorgeous, 70's and maybe even 80's.

I also heard that the ground is better for gardening on the East side of I - 35 and the ground is rocky on the west side, so people bring in dirt for elevated gardening. My Realtor is a gardener, so she gave me some of this information. I also was happy to see "Peaches" signs all over the place. A home I loved, had a multitude of various fruit trees and a vegetable garden, and that was in the Hills of Texas or vice versa.

Everyone says it is really hot in Austin, but I think the beautiful scenery, hills and the warm welcoming people are worth the hot summers. I am more worried about the super humidity in Sarasota. But that is a beautiful area too. I just really LOVE Austin area.

My husband is moving for my sake, so he gets to choose.

You will love it. Visit in July and August to see what you think. Lots and Lots of midwesterners there.

[twange]

Born and raised in Ohio, been in Austin for almost two years. My observations:

1.) Yes it gets humid, but it isn't quite the same thing as the midwest. As far as I can tell, this has everything to do with the dew point. The farther apart the dew point is from the actual temperature, the drier it feels. Because Austin summers get so dang hot(and oh, they do), during the daytime, the humidity is much less acute. The worst is actually between midnight and 7am, since they temps cool down quite a bit. The increase in sunshine is what you'll appreciate most. Just when the grayness starts to feel oppressive, the sun will start to shine again.

2.) Outdoor activity 12 months: This is totally subjective. I run and mountain bike outside all year round, but the summers are certainly hot. I prefer after 5pm. I love the way it feels when I'm working out or hiking(super sweaty) but not so much when I'm trying to eat a sandwich and visit! But that's what the pool is for

3.) Gardening: My wife and I joined an organic community garden in South Austin and we can't eat the stuff we're growing fast enough! Plus, you can practically grow vegetables and herbs all year long as there are two growing seasons. Our spot is very fertile but that's because the soil has been tended and worked for about 15 years. There are MANY excellent local gardening centers that are happy to share info with you. Here's a few links:

The Natural Gardener: Organic Gardening Headquarters
Austin Organic Gardeners - Home
Gardening in Central Texas
The Great Outdoors Nursery - Austin's Outdoor Garden Adventure Starts Here - 2730 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704

[sieren]

Thank you both for all the great info!

[hoffdano]

No doubt it gets hot here. And I agree with the answers above on humidity.

But I think it is easier to stay active outdoors in heat than in bitter cold. So I would trade 98 degress for 10 degrees since I can work/play outside in the mornings in the summer, or continue in the afternoon at a measured pace. If you are a fitness person you MUST pay attention to hydration when outside in the summer.

But I am a swimmer - and swim year round outdoors. The pool is heated of course, and I don't like the trip from the locker room to the pool in January-February. But 80 deg water feels great when the air temp is 40.

[txgolfer130]

I think that it's far more humid than the mid-west. Don't get me wrong, it gets humid for sure, but 90* and 80%+ humidity in the summer mornings and 95*+ and 65% humidity are worse than the mid-west.

However, I think overall IMO it's still worth it to not have to deal w/ the winters there.

[justinblott]

People get all hung up on the humidity, but twange is right that the dew point is really what people should be paying attention to. If the dew point is close to or above 70, it's going to feel humid regardless of what the "humidity" percentage is. I'm not really sure about how the dew point is in the midwest, but it's definitely higher in the East Coast where I'm originally from. 100 degrees is still hot regardless, but I've been in 95 degree days that feel better than 85 degree days simply because the dew point being so much lower.

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by twange

Born and raised in Ohio, been in Austin for almost two years. My observations:

1.) Yes it gets humid, but it isn't quite the same thing as the midwest. As far as I can tell, this has everything to do with the dew point. The farther apart the dew point is from the actual temperature, the drier it feels. Because Austin summers get so dang hot(and oh, they do), during the daytime, the humidity is much less acute. The worst is actually between midnight and 7am, since they temps cool down quite a bit. The increase in sunshine is what you'll appreciate most. Just when the grayness starts to feel oppressive, the sun will start to shine again.

2.) Outdoor activity 12 months: This is totally subjective. I run and mountain bike outside all year round, but the summers are certainly hot. I prefer after 5pm. I love the way it feels when I'm working out or hiking(super sweaty) but not so much when I'm trying to eat a sandwich and visit! But that's what the pool is for

3.) Gardening: My wife and I joined an organic community garden in South Austin and we can't eat the stuff we're growing fast enough! Plus, you can practically grow vegetables and herbs all year long as there are two growing seasons. Our spot is very fertile but that's because the soil has been tended and worked for about 15 years. There are MANY excellent local gardening centers that are happy to share info with you. Here's a few links:

The Natural Gardener: Organic Gardening Headquarters
Austin Organic Gardeners - Home
Gardening in Central Texas
The Great Outdoors Nursery - Austin's Outdoor Garden Adventure Starts Here - 2730 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704

I'm from Illinois and have lived in WI and MN. And I agree.

It's really a lot drier here overall. And yes, its more humid in the morning. Last summer every day it was hot, with blue sky in the afternoon.

It's never that clear and dry in the afternoon up north for days on end.

The rainier, more humid season seems to be between April-May. July and Aug, the hottest months, are drier.

It is hot, no doubt. But not nearly as humid as most native people think.

I've spent one of my most sweltering summers in Minnesota! YUCK!

Just make sure your car has good air conditioning, and dont attempt to live somewhere without ac and you will be fine.

Like the above poster, I prefer to work out in the evening or at night in the summer. The nights are beautiful, in my opinion. I might say early am too but I'm just not an early riser so I would not do that to myself on purpose!

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by txgolfer130

I think that it's far more humid than the mid-west. Don't get me wrong, it gets humid for sure, but 90* and 80%+ humidity in the summer mornings and 95*+ and 65% humidity are worse than the mid-west.

However, I think overall IMO it's still worth it to not have to deal w/ the winters there.

the heat waves in the midwest are far worse than that! Its not like that all summer up north. But when people up north are thinking "humid" they are thinking of the heat waves we get up there and thinking its like that down here all summer.

It's not.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by justinblott

People get all hung up on the humidity, but twange is right that the dew point is really what people should be paying attention to. If the dew point is close to or above 70, it's going to feel humid regardless of what the "humidity" percentage is. I'm not really sure about how the dew point is in the midwest, but it's definitely higher in the East Coast where I'm originally from. 100 degrees is still hot regardless, but I've been in 95 degree days that feel better than 85 degree days simply because the dew point being so much lower.

The dewpoint is just one end of the range, 100% humidity is the dew point, when the water vapor starts condensing and becomes rain. 100% humidity equals rain. The closer the humidity is to 100%, the closer it is to the dew point, the more humid the air feels. We also perceive it as feeling hotter when the humidity is higher.

The dew point is associated with relative humidity. A high relative humidity indicates that the dew point is closer to the current air temperature. Relative humidity of 100% indicates that the dew point is equal to the current temperature (and the air is maximally saturated with water). When the dew point stays constant and temperature increases, relative humidity will decrease.

There is more water vapor in the air at 100 degrees and 80% relative humidity then there is at 80 degrees and 80% relative humidity.

AUSTIN
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APPLETON
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With the exception of May, Austin's rainiest month, it looks like Appleton has higher afternoon humidity then Austin and most of the US.