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Pretty much all of the Midwest has extreme temperature swings. Probably explains why most people move from the Midwest and not to the Midwest.
Minnesota, for example, has hot and humid (almost Florida) summers and frigid cold winters. At least Florida has mild winters. California probably has the best weather of any state. most areas have mild to hot summers with low humidity and very mild, almost non-existent winters.
I think Austin-San Antonio has my favorite weather in Texas. It still gets stupid hot and is a bit humid, but it does cool down most nights. It doesn't usually rain enough, but when it does, it's a big one.
My level of adaptation to Texas weather in Houston reached the point that I would grow tired of the gray, humid, cool (sometimes cold) winter and get excited for our pool water to hit 80 degrees in Spring. That was my threshold to swim. That would take me through mid June or so. By August and September I was dying for relief from the onslaught of heat, humidity, mosquitoes and frequent storms. I adapted and found ways to make the best of it, but it was far from conducive to outdoor activities.
I didn't like feeling sticky right out of the shower. I didn't like always sweating with the top down while driving. My glasses would fog every time I walked outside. I hated that nights didn't really cool off, and in fact, seemed warmer and stickier. I also hated the extremes of moldy, soupy days, or blazing hot, dry days for months in a row with no respite. I rode out a couple of tropical storms and hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, droughts, three or four "hundred-year flood events," where people died, etc. in Houston, too. It's wasn't boring, I'll give you that.
I do recall the few odd weekends in Houston's Spring or Fall that there would be the Westheimer Art Festival or something like that going on and the city would come alive because it would be so beautiful--clear, sunny, cool and perfect.
I lived in Dallas for a couple of years and found it to be the worst weather imaginable. I'll concede that I liked how some nights would be cooler than I was used to in Houston. It's definitely drier humidity-wise than Houston, but it's hotter, stormier and more extreme on either end. I was convinced that I was witnessing the seven signs of the coming apocalypse, living through Dallas weather.
I live in Russian Hill, San Francisco now, and we have those "perfect" sunny, cool days consistently 8-9 months of the year. The other days it's a mix of either foggy, rainy, or hot (80s, but dry), spread out among the other 3-4 months with rarely more than a few days the same during that time. It's better for me.
Funny that you choose Austin/San Antonio as having your favorite weather in Texas. Many of the factors that you state as the reason for your dislike of Houston's climate are seen just as much, or even more, in both Austin and San Antonio. Quite a few of those factors apply even to Russian Hills more than they do for Houston.
The "perfect" sunny days you described are featured heavily in Houston, and the Coastal South during the entire cool season, way more than just a few odd weekends.
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Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
Like I said, it's all relative. You hate the humidity of east Texas. To me, a native of New Orleans, it's not particularly humid and it just doesn't bother me. Also, like I said, I've spent most of my life in the deep South and along the East Coast (lower half) so hot summers, big storms, etc just aren't even noteworthy to me - they're part of life. I actually admit that I like big thunderstorms!
That being said, to me Houston is sort of like Oklahoma City when it comes to weather extremes - I can do without flooding and ice storms and hurricanes, and I agree that Houston has less than ideal weather and wouldn't make my top five list for that reason. But Dallas weather doesn't bother me.
The vast majority of places in the US have less than ideal weather - and the places that have ideal weather subsequently generally have a very high cost of living, as well as other elements that make them a less than ideal choice for me personally. But hey, that's just me.
You were doing so well with your post. Then you lost all credibility when you stated the part in bold.
Houston compares to Oklahoma City in terms of weather extremes? Laughable. Get back to me when Houston starts seeing hailstorms, blizzards, and mile-wide tornadoes annually like the Oklahoma City area.
You contradict yourself severely when you talk of your weather tolerances. You complain about ice storms in Houston, even though the risk is minimal. Yet you turn around and claim that you aren't bothered by weather in Dallas, and in Tyler where you live, even though ice storms are practically regular occurrences in both areas? You are bothered by weather in Houston, but not Dallas, where the climate is more extreme? And every one of your complaints about Houston's climate applies to New Orleans, and much of the rest of the Coastal South.
Houston, New Orleans, and the rest of the Coastal South have ideal weather compared to much of the country. Lots of sunshine, plentiful rainfall, relatively spared from extreme weather (with the exception of flooding and hurricanes), a warm stable climate, featuring gorgeous subtropical falls, winters, and springs, as well as summers that capture all the beauty of the tropics. Weather in the Coastal South is very much in line with the other paradises of the subtropical world.
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Originally Posted by dalparadise
Yes, it all boils down to preference. I think we Texans are a bit tougher, too, when it comes to weather. Nothing wrong with that and I understand your preference for Texas weather. Like I wrote, people adapt. For me, a little experience in the pleasant weather of San Francisco casts an unflattering light on Dallas, though:
The weather in Texas, especially along the coast, is about as tough as the paradises of the subtropical/tropical world. The state's climate is a lot more pleasant than people think.
You were doing so well with your post. Then you lost all credibility when you stated the part in bold.
You have totally shattered all my self confidence. Nothing I ever write on this forum has a shred of integrity to it and all because you disagree with me about the severity of the weather in Houston! Excuse me while I go don my sackcloth and ashes! Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
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Houston compares to Oklahoma City in terms of weather extremes? Laughable. Get back to me when Houston starts seeing hailstorms, blizzards, and mile-wide tornadoes annually like the Oklahoma City area.
I didn't say that the weather in Houston is THE SAME as the weather in Oklahoma City - because that would be a ridiculous statement. What I did say - and i stick by it - is that both OKC and Houston have weather EXTREMES that are similar in their EXTREMITY. Houston regularly gets torrential rains, and subsequent flooding, as well as hurricanes and their remnants, along with blistering and very humid heat for weeks and weeks on end in the summertime. Oh, and Houston gets the occasional tornado as well, just for good measure. And hail too, come to think of it.
Don't get me wrong - I like a lot of things about Houston. But Houston's weather isn't one of it's stronger selling points.
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You contradict yourself severely when you talk of your weather tolerances. You complain about ice storms in Houston, even though the risk is minimal. Yet you turn around and claim that you aren't bothered by weather in Dallas, and in Tyler where you live, even though ice storms are practically regular occurrences in both areas?
First of all, I didn't complain about ice storms in Houston. I am not even aware of any ice storms in the Houston area, and have never been affected by one. But I am USED to ice storms - one or two a year, which is what we generally get in Tyler. I don't like them then, but they're not a regular occurrence here either. (I don't consider some freezing rain an "ice storm." I consider a coating of ice, which disrupts utility service and makes it very dangerous to drive to be an "ice storm.") And when it comes to Dallas weather (which is more similar to Tyler weather than Houston's weather), Dallas gets considerably more ice and snow than we do, and I don't care for it THERE either.
What bothers me about the weather in Houston is the extremely high humidity and the torrential rains and subsequent flooding. It's more of a subtropical weather pattern than I prefer personally - and it's definitely more subtropical than either Dallas or Tyler.
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You are bothered by weather in Houston, but not Dallas, where the climate is more extreme?
I don't consider Dallas weather to be more extreme than Houston weather. It's different, and it can be extreme, but it's not MORE extreme.
And both Dallas and Houston have more extreme weather than the Tyler/Longview area, which is one reason why I strongly prefer this area over either Big D or H town.
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And every one of your complaints about Houston's climate applies to New Orleans, and much of the rest of the Coastal South.
Right - which is why those places are nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. And I say that as a native of New Orleans and a Saints fan! LOL
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Houston, New Orleans, and the rest of the Coastal South have ideal weather compared to much of the country. Lots of sunshine, plentiful rainfall, relatively spared from extreme weather (with the exception of flooding and hurricanes), a warm stable climate, featuring gorgeous subtropical falls, winters, and springs, as well as summers that capture all the beauty of the tropics. Weather in the Coastal South is very much in line with the other paradises of the subtropical world.
Yeah, if you like subtropical climates, then those places fit the bill. I personally prefer less humidity and more of a "four seasons" feel with a few inches of snow every year. But to each his own. There are some great towns along our Gulf Coast and I am not here to talk down about them. I always enjoy visiting them.
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The weather in Texas, especially along the coast, is about as tough as the paradises of the subtropical/tropical world. The state's climate is a lot more pleasant than people think.
Well, we can agree on this, but my personal preference is northeast Texas - to me it has one of the very best climates in the world!
Pretty much all of the Midwest has extreme temperature swings. Probably explains why most people move from the Midwest and not to the Midwest.
Minnesota, for example, has hot and humid (almost Florida) summers and frigid cold winters. At least Florida has mild winters. California probably has the best weather of any state. most areas have mild to hot summers with low humidity and very mild, almost non-existent winters.
MN summer's aren't that bad at all. Often just 80s, and it's not too humid, nothing compared to what I've experienced in the south. We hit 90 degrees 3 or 4 times this year.
Unpopular opinion, but I wouldn't classify 32º as being "extreme." It was around freezing in Chicago yesterday and I was walking around in a vest and a sweatshirt.
I'd rather have that than 20s. Why would you wear more than one layer anyway?
You're really supposed to wear an undershirt with a dress shirt, even a short-sleeve one, aren't you? And you can't get away with wearing shorts to work in most office jobs. I know if I commute to work by bike in the summer I'm invariably soaked and gross to some degree by the time I get into work - and I have an easy ride in which is mostly flat/downhill.
As a child, before my physiology changed and I started sweating like a pig, I liked the summer and the heat. Something just changed when I was 20 for some reason. I went from going to sleep, for example, wearing all of my clothes to having to strip down to boxers (even in the winter) if I didn't want to wake up in a pool of my own sweat.
MN summer's aren't that bad at all. Often just 80s, and it's not too humid, nothing compared to what I've experienced in the south. We hit 90 degrees 3 or 4 times this year.
You must live north of the TC's then, because they average 12-15 90+ days.
Location: Baghdad by the Bay (San Francisco, California)
3,530 posts, read 5,136,325 times
Reputation: 3145
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Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA
Funny that you choose Austin/San Antonio as having your favorite weather in Texas. Many of the factors that you state as the reason for your dislike of Houston's climate are seen just as much, or even more, in both Austin and San Antonio. Quite a few of those factors apply even to Russian Hills more than they do for Houston.
Amazing! You know less about San Francisco than you know about Houston.
This isn't one of those situations where you can simply keep repeating lies again and again and people will believe they are true. Millions have lived through Houston weather and know what it is really like. I am one of them. It ain't paradise.
You have totally shattered all my self confidence. Nothing I ever write on this forum has a shred of integrity to it and all because you disagree with me about the severity of the weather in Houston! Excuse me while I go don my sackcloth and ashes! Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
Nice monologue. I will say that this is the most artistic part of your post, bravo. No onto the rest of it.
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Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
I didn't say that the weather in Houston is THE SAME as the weather in Oklahoma City - because that would be a ridiculous statement. What I did say - and i stick by it - is that both OKC and Houston have weather EXTREMES that are similar in their EXTREMITY. Houston regularly gets torrential rains, and subsequent flooding, as well as hurricanes and their remnants, along with blistering and very humid heat for weeks and weeks on end in the summertime. Oh, and Houston gets the occasional tornado as well, just for good measure. And hail too, come to think of it.
Don't get me wrong - I like a lot of things about Houston. But Houston's weather isn't one of it's stronger selling points.
All the examples you named for "weather extremes" in Houston are either rare, to the point that their chances are practically non-existent(tornadoes, hail), or are not really all that extreme if you think about it(torrential rains, flooding, hurricanes, "blistering" humid heat). Those "extremes" also all apply equally to the other cities in the Coastal South, including those in Florida, all the way down the peninsula to Miami. And yet people still see Miami's weather as a strong selling point.
So tell me again why Houston weather isn't a strong selling point?
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Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
First of all, I didn't complain about ice storms in Houston. I am not even aware of any ice storms in the Houston area, and have never been affected by one. But I am USED to ice storms - one or two a year, which is what we generally get in Tyler. I don't like them then, but they're not a regular occurrence here either. (I don't consider some freezing rain an "ice storm." I consider a coating of ice, which disrupts utility service and makes it very dangerous to drive to be an "ice storm.") And when it comes to Dallas weather (which is more similar to Tyler weather than Houston's weather), Dallas gets considerably more ice and snow than we do, and I don't care for it THERE either.
What bothers me about the weather in Houston is the extremely high humidity and the torrential rains and subsequent flooding. It's more of a subtropical weather pattern than I prefer personally - and it's definitely more subtropical than either Dallas or Tyler.
Yes, you did complain about ice storms in Houston. You said:
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I can do without flooding and ice storms and hurricanes, and I agree that Houston has less than ideal weather and wouldn't make my top five list for that reason.
You made this claim as if ice storms were a frequent, and regular problem in Houston, which they are far from being (about as common as a tropical storm/hurricane on the West Coast). At least, that's what I got from the way it was worded. I apologize if I misinterpreted your post.
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Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
I don't consider Dallas weather to be more extreme than Houston weather. It's different, and it can be extreme, but it's not MORE extreme.
And both Dallas and Houston have more extreme weather than the Tyler/Longview area, which is one reason why I strongly prefer this area over either Big D or H town.
Actually, Houston, of the three cities, has the least extreme weather, but I wont go into the details of why again.
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Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
Right - which is why those places are nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. And I say that as a native of New Orleans and a Saints fan! LOL
Yeah, if you like subtropical climates, then those places fit the bill. I personally prefer less humidity and more of a "four seasons" feel with a few inches of snow every year. But to each his own. There are some great towns along our Gulf Coast and I am not here to talk down about them. I always enjoy visiting them.
Well, we can agree on this, but my personal preference is northeast Texas - to me it has one of the very best climates in the world!
I acknowledge the fact that your climactic preferences are different than mine; we can agree to disagree on which climate is best. I agree that everybody has their own preferences; that was never something I was against. But claims that are clearly hypocritical, or blatantly false or over-exaggerated cannot go un-refuted.
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Originally Posted by dalparadise
Amazing! You know less about San Francisco than you know about Houston.
Like I said, certain forms of weather extremes can affect San Francisco more than they do Houston, and vise-versa.
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Originally Posted by dalparadise
This isn't one of those situations where you can simply keep repeating lies again and again and people will believe they are true. Millions have lived through Houston weather and know what it is really like. I am one of them. It ain't paradise.
If Houston isn't paradise, then all the resorts of the tropical/subtropical world aren't paradises.
All the examples you named for "weather extremes" in Houston are either rare, to the point that their chances are practically non-existent(tornadoes, hail), or are not really all that extreme if you think about it(torrential rains, flooding, hurricanes, "blistering" humid heat). Those "extremes" also all apply equally to the other cities in the Coastal South, including those in Florida, all the way down the peninsula to Miami. And yet people still see Miami's weather as a strong selling point.
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So tell me again why Houston weather isn't a strong selling point?
(It's even more humid than Miami, for that matter!)
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Yes, you did complain about ice storms in Houston. You said:
You took my quote out of context - I was talking about various types of weather (some of which is prevalent in Houston and some of which is prevalent in other areas), and not all the weather types I was discussing applied directly to Houston.
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You made this claim as if ice storms were a frequent, and regular problem in Houston, which they are far from being (about as common as a tropical storm/hurricane on the West Coast). At least, that's what I got from the way it was worded. I apologize if I misinterpreted your post.
Apology accepted!
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I acknowledge the fact that your climactic preferences are different than mine; we can agree to disagree on which climate is best. I agree that everybody has their own preferences; that was never something I was against. But claims that are clearly hypocritical, or blatantly false or over-exaggerated cannot go un-refuted.
I agree - which is why I never shirk from substantiating my opinions with facts. Now, that being said, if you feel that Houston's positives outweigh it's climate negatives (and Houston does have many positives) then more power to you! Like I said, I like a lot of things about Houston myself, and if life led me to live there, I'm sure I could be just as happy there as I am here, because weather isn't all there is to happiness. But personally, I don't particularly care for Houston's weather pattern. I also wouldn't choose as a first choice ANY Gulf Coast city as much as I enjoy and respect them - New Orleans, Galveston, Mobile, Pensacola, Baton Rouge - thanks but I prefer living in a different climate.
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If Houston isn't paradise, then all the resorts of the tropical/subtropical world aren't paradises.
Imagine that - all this time I didn't realize that Houston is a tropical resort! Right in my back yard! "Honey, cancel the trip to the Bahamas, we're going to HOUSTON, BABY!"
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