Sacramento vs. Dallas weather (Houston, Plano: home, college, tornado)

[countrydeb22]

My husband and I (along with our two children) are seriously contemplating a move to the Dallas area. We are looking at Rowlett and surrounding cities (Rockwall, Garland, Plano, Richardson, etc).

The question I have is about the Dallas weather. I keep hearing that it's wicked hot in the summers. We are originally from Sacramento, California, moved to Idaho 8 years ago and now want to come to Texas. The thing is Sacramento weather, in the summer, many times reached 100 or over (and I loved it!!!). It was also considered a "dry heat". So I'm wondering how closely Dallas weather is to Sacramento weather. Because if it is similar, then we can handle in (in fact, we'll love it....it's -6 here in Idaho and it's WAY too cold! lol).

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by countrydeb22

My husband and I (along with our two children) are seriously contemplating a move to the Dallas area. We are looking at Rowlett and surrounding cities (Rockwall, Garland, Plano, Richardson, etc).

The question I have is about the Dallas weather. I keep hearing that it's wicked hot in the summers. We are originally from Sacramento, California, moved to Idaho 8 years ago and now want to come to Texas. The thing is Sacramento weather, in the summer, many times reached 100 or over (and I loved it!!!). It was also considered a "dry heat". So I'm wondering how closely Dallas weather is to Sacramento weather. Because if it is similar, then we can handle in (in fact, we'll love it....it's -6 here in Idaho and it's WAY too cold! lol).

I'm from Norcal, went to college in Stockton (whose weather is not too different from Sac) and of course I've been to Sac too many times to count.

It's not that different (Sacramento v. Dallas I mean). Dallas is more humid of course, but not crazy humidity like Houston. Certain Dallas has more 100 deg + days in the summer than Sacramento, and of course in the winter it occassionally snows in Dallas while in Sactown you never see snow, but otherwise the temps follow a similar pattern. I think if you mapped DFW area vs. Sacramento avg highs and lows by month, they would pretty much overlap. The difference as I mentioned though is some humidity and when there is a heat wave in Dallas, it's 100+ close to 110, and severe cold fronts in Dallas can generate some snow.

More total precip usually in Dallas (averages 37 inches of precip a year vs. 18 in Sactown). You'll see this in the form of much more thunderstorms. And of course occassional tornado watches/warnings, something else you don't get in Sac.

[Willsson]

A point that gets lost in the 'how hot does it really get' question is how cool does it get at night. Around mid-August or so and into September the overnite lows can hover in the low to mid-80's. There have been some miserable summer days when the heat gets into the 100's early in the day and there may be little breeze. Having been born and raised around Texas and now much older, even those days can be insufferable. But, but... it's those overnite lows that are the real killer. Yeah, it gets hot in Texas but it's when those overnite lows hang in the mid-80's for multiple nights in a row that I finally will admit that it's hot.

After a long day of 100+ heat, a mid-80's overnite doesn't do anything for relief.

[stephwin]

Originally Posted by tofurkey

After a long day of 100+ heat, a mid-80's overnite doesn't do anything for relief.

This. In July and August it will still be 90+ at 9:00 PM. I had coworkers come to Plano from San Francisco and Sacramento a few years ago. They couldn't get over how hot it was at 10:00 PM. We went to a few bars and sat outside on the patio at night and they would sweat like crazy. There is zero wind during the summer. In April and May it will be so windy and then by the time everyone gets tired of the wind and complains about it, it goes away and then it gets hot.

[countrydeb22]

Thanks so much for the replies. It sounds like it is a bit hotter than Sacramento, although on a similar pattern. I remember as a child lying in my bed late at night and sweating, so I am used to hot nights. Maybe it's more in Dallas, but it doesn't sound TOO different from Sac where I grew up (and lived for 35 years!).

The little bits of snow I can definitely handle after being in Idaho for the last 8 years. Probably won't be my favorite part, but I can deal with it!

Thank you, thank you again!! You all have been awesome!

[txgolfer130]

My old company had it's an office in San Jose, so I have a feel for the weather. Like mentioned it's pattern is very much like Dallas (up until Dec-Jan). The summer's are a bit more humid, but the temp starts in mid May and only get's hotter until mid October when we see the low 90's/high 80's again. Temps in the dead of summer (july-early sept.) can be as high as 107-108 w/ humidity and only drop to the high 80's w/ same humidity at night. As far as winter, coming from Idaho...it'll be a cake walk. Dealing with icy roads will be the biggest problem, and dealing with everything shutting down because of it(commute, etc.).

Hope that helps.`

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by countrydeb22

Thanks so much for the replies. It sounds like it is a bit hotter than Sacramento, although on a similar pattern. I remember as a child lying in my bed late at night and sweating, so I am used to hot nights. Maybe it's more in Dallas, but it doesn't sound TOO different from Sac where I grew up (and lived for 35 years!).

The little bits of snow I can definitely handle after being in Idaho for the last 8 years. Probably won't be my favorite part, but I can deal with it!

Thank you, thank you again!! You all have been awesome!

Did you have A/C in Sacramento? I know people in Sactown and other parts of the Central Valley that didn't have AC, so summer nights were hot. (Hell I'm from the Bay Area and when I go visit the Bay, summer nights inside my parents' home in Cali are hot because of no A/C)

But I've always found in Sac and Stockton that summer nights outside were cool (I'm positive you never have 80-90 degrees at 10pm in any month in Sac/Stockton/CV), and the point from another poster should be reiterated that summer nights outside in Dallas are still hot. Very hot in comparison.

But yes, you can handle Dallas weather if you like Sac weather.

[pappy97]

Originally Posted by stephwin

This. In July and August it will still be 90+ at 9:00 PM. I had coworkers come to Plano from San Francisco and Sacramento a few years ago. They couldn't get over how hot it was at 10:00 PM. We went to a few bars and sat outside on the patio at night and they would sweat like crazy. There is zero wind during the summer. In April and May it will be so windy and then by the time everyone gets tired of the wind and complains about it, it goes away and then it gets hot.

I dunno about zero wind. Been here for a few summers and had strong winds.

Problem was, it was not a "cool breeze," it was a brutally hot wind, if that makes any sense.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I live way north of Dallas itself in a small exurb, Little Elm. It's rather windy here in the summer - I arrived July 29. It is not near as humid as Louisiana or Mississippi.

[Pete53FR]

I found Dallas and Sacramento to have very similar climates. Air Conditioning is a must but I don't consider it hot till it is over 95 and truly except rarely hot weather is fairly limited. I have lived in Dallas since 1962 and except for 1982 both winter and summer were out of whack most of the time we have a breaks in even the worst times.