On the way to Ft. Bliss (Houston, Dallas: best city, house, transfer)

[Muhnay]

Heh, one thing to remember.. is it is a dry heat, so when the wind blows its a hot wind not a nice cool breeze.. so its like your in a convection oven there most of the time. So make sure you keep hydrated too.. the heat there can kill ya.

If you do go hiking, make sure someone knows where you'll be and a time back.. we have lost people to broken ankels, falling in old mines, and snake bites. Just be informed. I have hiked al over the Mountains there.. there are deer, and mountain lions up there so be careful. I have a picture here some place of a Mountain lion on a Utility pole between El Paso and White Sands.. was the darndest thing..

I hope you enjoy El Paso.. The POST is really improving.. so your coming when changes are being made... and hey the bowling alley there is nice 52 lanes.. the largest in the military.. and they have FRI-SAt midnight bowling.. really cool.. check it out.

[malamute]

Have you ever been through Oklahoma in June or July? Or Chicago when it's 95 degrees with 95 percent humidity? That's what I call unbearable. I haven't used air conditioners for 3 years now -- and I generally drive with my windows down.

A nice baking hot but dry breeze is fine with me any day. And what's better than an El Paso summer evening outdoors with the heat radiating up out of the ground or off rock walls? And a scorching hot sun with a nice big glass of ice tea in your hand?

[FB1977]

Oh boy Malamute I'm hearing ya on the Chicago summers. Beyond unbearable sometimes...hopefully I'll be in EP by the time the intense heat waves hit this summer.

That being said, I'm preparing myself for the hot desert summer of EP...I know it will be a different kind of heat, but heat nonetheless. We shall see!

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by FB1977

Oh boy Malamute I'm hearing ya on the Chicago summers. Beyond unbearable sometimes...hopefully I'll be in EP by the time the intense heat waves hit this summer.

That being said, I'm preparing myself for the hot desert summer of EP...I know it will be a different kind of heat, but heat nonetheless. We shall see!

Hey FB1977 - Good luck on your move to EP...I really hope you enjoy it there. I have appreciated your posts and optimistic nature, and will look forward to how you start to enjoy (or not) the polarizing city that is El Paso. I think you'll like it!

On the weather thing...

I lived 26+ years in Milwaukee...similar summers as to Chicago (about 1 hour north of Chicago), and I have to say that while you are absolutely right about the humidity on the heat waves that roll through, you'll find it is consistently much hotter in the summer by far in EP than in ChiTown, humidity or not. Don't get me wrong...I love El Paso's hot, baking summers, and I would take them over humidity, mosquitoes, etc., any time. However, while areas like Chicago and Milwaukee don't even average a month of high temps over 90 degrees - not one! - El Paso averages a high of 91.5 degrees from a cumulative of the months of May through September...the five months that generally consist of El Paso's "summer". (Source on that is the Weather Channel's website).

Again, that isn't a bad thing, but it definitely is hotter than Chicago's summers and longer (which just means that spring and fall start later and last much longer too!).

I have to say that I always kind of laugh a bit about the hoopla made over the "heat waves" of Milwaukee or Chicago, etc. While they can indeed get very warm once and awhile in short stretches in certain summers, due to their northern proximity on the cold Great Lakes, they still have some of the coolest summers overall in comparison to much of the rest of the U.S. (I feel like telling people in Milwaukee when they complain about a few days of 90 degrees plus and humidity...now Alabama or Florida or Louisiana in the summer? THAT is hot and humid! ).

The nice thing about the upper Midwestern's summers is that even when there is a few days of a heat wave, you are always assured of a few days later a massive cold front rolling on through from the west and knocking it into the 70s for awhile again. In El Paso, the only cooldown you generally have a prayer of seeing is if the monsoon season is really good...which is kind of hit and miss (and this year was too much a "hit" in EP and up here in ABQ...flooding happened).

Anyway...just wanted you to know. Yes, it is an overall enjoyable dry, sunny heat, but it is still hotter by far than in the upper Midwest for much longer. But you'll get shorts weather for half the year! (And no big parka weather).

(And...as stated above...the nights do cool off generally quite well)...

[FB1977]

Thanks EnjoyEP, you're right about the heat. I lived in Hawaii for all of 05 an most of 06, and it could get hot there, but that was tropical heat (not too bad). I have a feeling EP is going to be a HOT I have yet to feel (ugh, I just remember going to Las Vegas in July once, and saying NEVER AGAIN).

I appreciate all your posts too EP. They are very informative AND positive. Keep 'em coming!

[malamute]

I've never thought it was too hot here. Maybe for 2-4 hours it's a bit on the warm side but you've got the cool mornings and evenings. It might get to 105 a couple days -- but anything under 100 here is quite tolerable.

I've lived in the Midwest where it hits 95 degrees with drenching humidity and the night temperatures don't drop by much.

And you can always take a short drive up to the cool pine mountains and have a day away from the heat if you need to.

[Amandam789]

LOL Well I'm sure looking forward to all of the dry heat. So far I've spent nearly 6 months here at Ft. Benning, GA and I'm ready for the humidity to go away but I know it's just beginning. I'm already starting to miss the great lake's version of "hot" cause so far GA has it beat with temps in the 80's in March!!! And let's not even go into sticking to the furniture.

Now I’ve heard all about the famous sunny days down there and my husband just bought a motorcycle. Are there any special laws we need to know about? He has the endorsement on both his license and the military base.

I’ve also heard a rumor going on about the schools on Ft. Bliss going from army control to some of the many school districts around El Paso. Is there any truth in this? Also is there any new schools being built? Most specifically I’m looking for a science teaching job at a middle and/or high school. Oh and has anyone else had to endure the state of TX teacher certification process with an out of state certification?

Again thank-you for all of your GREAT! Information so far!

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by Amandam789

I'm already starting to miss the great lake's version of "hot" cause so far GA has it beat with temps in the 80's in March!!!

Yeah, in the Chicago/Milwaukee/Minneapolis area, from Wednesday (April 4) through Easter, highs are supposed to get - HIGHS - only in the 30s or 40, 41 - etc. Lows in the 20s. Some SNOW flurries! I know I would take, if I were back in Milwaukee (or Chicago, etc.) an 80 degree / high humidity "heat wave" any day over that kind of weather!!

[FB1977]

Yep EP, I had a day off yesterday and the high was like 30! There were also snow flurries...unfreakinbelievable! I'm SO ready to ditch this weather, and just put up with the hot desert heat.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by FB1977

Yep EP, I had a day off yesterday and the high was like 30! There were also snow flurries...unfreakinbelievable! I'm SO ready to ditch this weather, and just put up with the hot desert heat.

Uughh...I feel for ya! I have watched the weather from the Midwest the last few days, and it has looked just terrible - January-like and not April like! Wind-chills in my old stomping grounds of Milwaukee hit zero last night! Good ol' global warming in the Midwest!

You'll love it down in EP weather-wise...it has been in the high 70s in Albuquerque lately, and in the mid-to-higher-80s in El Paso lately. Everything bloomed in EP in March...you'll love the springs and falls and winters especially there!