Is my sister exaggerating about the heat in Houston? (Dallas: homes, transfer)

[JDubbya]

No, she is not exaggerating.. and if you're carrying a few extra lbs.. she's definitely not exaggerating.

[piyf]

Originally Posted by Supermac34

It WAS oppresive this year. We had one of the hottest summers ever in Houston this year (much of the country was under a heat wave).

It usually isn't as terrible as it was this year. In fact, two years ago we had a relatively mild summer for Houston.

Well I work outside for a living and can tell you this past year was nice as far as Houston weather is concerned. I'll take 100* with low humidity over 90* with anything over 80% humidity. And I'm not overweight or unhealthy.

[HBsteve]

Originally Posted by texas7

Totally different kind of heat though. In Vegas, one feels like a baked potato because you don't really sweat much with the dry heat and the sweat despite how people hate it - is what cools the body. We have the humidity here so even if people are baking hot but sweating it out.

Sweat is what cools the body, but the problem with high humidity is the sweat stays on your skin instead of evaporating. So you can't sweat more and you feel hotter. In Las Vegas, sweating works really well, the sweat disappears instantly, that's why you feel cooler in a dry climate than in a humid one.

To the OP, as someone who moved here from Boston, your sister isn't far off. It might be closer to 5 months than 6 but it is bad.

[texas7]

When I've visited Vegas .. I'd like to sweat but I don't so I prefer it here but I'm not much of a sweater here so get me in a dry climate and my body struggles to do so.

[busterkeaton]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

The most "oppressive" months of summer to me are from June to Sept. Mid-May and mid-Oct are tolerable if a bit toasty. The other months of the year tend to be either glorious to nice enough. And some of those cold shocks we get from time to time in winter...to me, I consider those smog-blasters. Love those. (But I am originally from the Hoosier State...and I do NOT miss snow.)

Spoiled Americans need to try visiting the Philippines for a stretch. Yeah. Hot year round. Lack of central A/C in vast majority of residences. Sweat your tail off in mid November down in Mindanao. Just to have a nice ocillating fan in an inner Manila apartment unit is a SWEET BLESSING.

Even in the USA, ever been to Yuma, AZ? That heat is cutting! At least our Houston humidity keeps moisture in our skin, keeping us youthful looking. I remember reading how twins, one living in a dry heat and the other in a humid one...the twin living in the dry heat looked 10 years older.

Yeah. Then my weather-worn fellow Americans need to get back to me on how "oppressive" Houston is.

Was it just the differences in the heat that made the one twin look older? It wasn't also maybe due to some other catalyst...like sun exposure, smoking, heavy drinking??? But, yeah, Texas is hot...it sits at the bottom of the U.S. were most, if not all, of the states are hot! It's also why the south doesn't receive as much snow as the north...because of our location.

[MNCold]

Moved here last year from Minnesota. It is hot in the summer but the heat is much easier to deal with than the freaking cold weather. No complain from me. I don't have a problem with the heat.

[redfish1]

june, jully, august and sept are pretty hot but it's nice the rest of the year unless you're overweight or don't like warm weather.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by redfish1

june, jully, august and sept are pretty hot but it's nice the rest of the year unless you're overweight or don't like warm weather.

This.

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by houstonfan

"Oppressive" is subjective, but I think most will agree it's purty-darn-hot and humid May-Oct.

Yeah.

We have two seasons. Spring and summer. What's classified as winter is about 15 days of cool to "cold" weather and it's in spurts. 5 days in December - on days 1-3, 14, 28 and the rest are about 60 degrees with the sun shining that makes it feel a bit warmer and closer to the dirty side of 65.

And the same kind of spurts in January until the end of January then it'll be a bit more continuous through early February. The minute February rolls to March it's getting warm to hot with just a mild to strong breeze. April when it actually rains is hot rain. It's raining and it's muggy out side and May probably feels like July for a Northern states person.

Yeah, it's pretty hot. This past year was ridiculous though. I don't know who opened the portal but hell was coming up from the ground here in Houston.

[hawkabby]

Hey, Jay from Boston. I am a fellow Mainer. I have been living here since 2007. First year it was rough on me and i was like why am I down here. It was very hard the first year during the summertime. Just running errands I was dripping with sweat. But you get smarter. If you want to do errands, you will have to do them in the morning or early in the evening. When it is not 100 degrees out. It will be 85 degrees out at night. LOL. But I much rather be in the heat from May to September. Then being in the cold from September through June up north. In Maine you only have 2 months of nice weather. Then it is cold. I remember my family saying it is warm up there, saying 80 degrees is hot. LOL. Well once you live down here. You can always travel up to the north east during the summer months to visit family and friends. But your family and friends will be coming down to see you in the winter time. It is worth living down here. I am a snow bird. Also if you love the red sox. The Astros will be playing against the red soxs a lot this year. Now that they are in the American league.