Which summer is worse: Phoenix or Austin? (Houston, Dallas: movies, living in)

[orionid]

I've heard a lot of people complain about the summers in Austin, so I'm putting this to a little test.

Austin is 90-105 degrees in the summer and humid; not tropical humidity, and not as bad as closer to the gulf, but still bad; I've heard people say it's close to Chicago or maybe a bit worse.

Phoenix is 105-115 degrees (with higher peaks) in the summer and dry, but these are searing temperatures.

Please think about more than just the weather; think about how long it lasts, whether or not the community offers any relief from the heat, the culture of the community to deal with it, which has nicer evenings, resulting bugs, etc etc etc.

To a person living in San Diego, but grew up in Chicago, who enjoys going to the desert, and who's still considering a move to Austin ... your opinions will be highly valued !!

[gigi927]

Well, I grew up in Chicago, lived in south Orange County, lived in Phoenix, live in Austin.

IMO Phoenix is a much worse summer hands down.

Ways Phoenix is worse than Austin in summer:
* summer is longer. 100+ degree temperatures can start as early as mid May and continue well into late October. I remember it being in the high 90s one Thanksgiving a few years back.
* the heat is stronger for more of the day than Austin. In the peak of summer it may already be close to or over 100 degrees when you wake up and will often not drop below 95 to 98 even well into the hours after midnight. I lived in the high desert area of far north Scottsdale where it was 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix and it was still highly miserable. There are no such things as "cooler evenings" in summer.
* Because the heat is stronger all day, there is little you can do to escape it. My little kids couldn't go to the playground even at 7 or 8 a.m. because the slides would burn their skin. Yes, having a pool is great and we used ours frequently, but you can only be out in that intense heat for so long without it being really unsafe for you or a child, even if you are in a pool. Most everyone spends their time at the malls or at the movies or restaurants. I remember wanting to hike Piestewa Peak once when I first moved to Phoenix. My husband and I had to get to the peak at around 6 a.m. and it was still just ridiculously hot. I've been a very healthy, outdoor-exerciser kind of person for a long time and I gained 20 pounds and got completely out of shape living in Phoenix.
* it doesn't matter that the heat is dry when it's 110.You walk outside and it feels like a hot blow dryer blasting in your face. It dries your skin out to the point of almost not being able to ever get it back to looking or feeling healthy.

Ways Phoenix is Better than Austin in Summer:
*less bugs. Almost no mosquitos, very few flies, etc.

I've said this before, but I can play tennis outside in summer in mid-day in Austin. Yes, I get soaking wet from the humid conditions BUT I can still play. I would've never considered playing in the middle of summer in Phoenix. That's my big test. HTH.

[twange]

I've never lived in Phoenix, but I've been there in June and July and Gigi's spot on. Blow-dryer in your face kind of heat. Or sticking your head into a hot oven. Stop for a moment and imagine how that would feel when you went outside.



I thought it was fairly shocking and it felt that way at midnight. If you want dry climate, try Albuquerque or Santa Fe. It's higher desert and much milder.

[Southern Phoenician]

10 years spent living in Phoenix and 3 summers spent in Austin... hands down, Phoenix summers are worst. At least in Austin, the night temps go down to a tolerable level so you can still enjoy the outdoors. I had mosquitos in Phoenix also; they were pretty bad the year we moved.

[texastea]

...and Austin doesn't have temps over 100 every summer. When its 105+ its a "weather event," like ice or snow in the winter. Also when its that hot, the air is from the desert, so its dry, not humid.

[atxcio]

Good point. The humidity, like just about everything regarding our weather, can vary quite a bit. When someone says the summers are 90-105, keep in mind that on days with higher humidity, that keeps the temps down a few degrees... so the 90 degree days can be humid and miserable, but when it goes over 100, it's usually because the humidity is much lower that day. So it feels about the same.

I've only visited Phoenix, but I thought it got a little cooler at night? I do remember that it was more brutal than Austin anytime the sun was actually out (in the summertime). In Austin, your car will get hot in the sun and you'll be uncomfortable when you first get in... but driving around Phoenix in the summer, even with full A/C blasting, if you had to stop at a light for more than 10 seconds the car would become an oven again. There was no relief unless you were moving.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by atxcio

I've only visited Phoenix, but I thought it got a little cooler at night? I do remember that it was more brutal than Austin anytime the sun was actually out (in the summertime). In Austin, your car will get hot in the sun and you'll be uncomfortable when you first get in... but driving around Phoenix in the summer, even with full A/C blasting, if you had to stop at a light for more than 10 seconds the car would become an oven again. There was no relief unless you were moving.

Speaking of using a car in Phoenix vs. Austin, I was told by a good friend who lived in Phoenix for years that when it is peak Summer heat, cars will not start. And I was also told in Phoenix, you cannot wear shorts and then jump into your car as some seats and seatbelts can give third degree burns baking in that heat. Is that true for Austin?

[love roses]

Yes. (At least the burns). When I lived in Houston, it got hot enough to stall a car.

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by ITChick

Speaking of using a car in Phoenix vs. Austin, I was told by a good friend who lived in Phoenix for years that when it is peak Summer heat, cars will not start. And I was also told in Phoenix, you cannot wear shorts and then jump into your car as some seats and seatbelts can give third degree burns baking in that heat. Is that true for Austin?

Well, I lived in Phoenix for 4 years and never got a third degree burn wearing shorts and pulling my seat belt across...but the metal can definitely scald your skin, and it's really hard to touch the steering wheel in a hot car for about 15 minutes after you get into it. There's a reason why garages are so big in Phoenix - if you can't keep your car in a garage, it sucks to be you.

[dallasmaverick]

I have lived in Texas my whole life, Dallas and now Austin, and to me the summer is not that big a deal. I just modify my habits a little bit. There are about 5 hours a day during the summer that you do not want to be outside unless you are swimming. Before noon, it is not that bad, and once the sun starts to set it is already cooling off somewhat. (There is a big difference between 95 and 100 degrees, I can stand 95.)