Is This an Accurate Description of Life in the Woodlands?

[MadMatrix]

Originally Posted by bu2

Don't really consider Galveston "Houston" even though it is in the metro area. The Woodlands more or less is.

And The Woodlands is cooler. Even than Clear Lake. I've lived in both places. That ocean humidity and lack of trees make Clear Lake feel warmer.

Nope, look at climate charts comparing the two regions of the Houston area; the Pineywoods areas, including Woodlands, have warmer highs during summer (up to 95F) than the Galveston Bay areas (highs in the hottest month are 91F or less). That is ocean moderation at work, and the effect is so strong, that downtown Houston, even with all its UHI, has cooler summer high temps than the forested podunk towns of Deep East Texas (Jasper, Lufkin, etc).

The shade from the Woodland's trees shield the sun (though Clear Lake certainly does not lack trees either), but it doesn't change the fact that the temps are still hotter. Plus, being that distance inland, The Woodlands doesn't get the full strength of sea-breezes that Clear Lake does.

[MadMatrix]

Climate in The Woodlands vs climate in Clear Lake:
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Average high during hottest month in The Woodlands is 95F vs 91 at Clear Lake.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by MadMatrix

Climate in The Woodlands vs climate in Clear Lake:
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Average high during hottest month in The Woodlands is 95F vs 91 at Clear Lake.

More relevant is the comfort index, which is better at Clear Lake Shores, but Clear Lake Shores is actually on Galveston Bay. It gets some of the breeze. I'm talking about Clear Lake City that feels warmer (and I'm sure it is warmer in temperature as well than Clear Lake Shores).

The tree cover in Clear Lake City is nothing like The Woodlands. It really does make a difference.

[MadMatrix]

Originally Posted by bu2

More relevant is the comfort index, which is better at Clear Lake Shores, but Clear Lake Shores is actually on Galveston Bay. It gets some of the breeze. I'm talking about Clear Lake City that feels warmer (and I'm sure it is warmer in temperature as well than Clear Lake Shores).

The tree cover in Clear Lake City is nothing like The Woodlands. It really does make a difference.

Clear Lake City is not right on Clear Lake, but the proximity is very close (literally right next door). League City covers a large amount of territory that is inland from the Bay, and even there, the average high during the hottest month is no higher than 91F:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League..._Texas#Climate

All these indexes (heat index, comfort index, etc) only factor in temperature and humidity; they don't incorporate sea-breeze into the index, which Bay Area Houston has a stronger presence of compared to The Woodlands.

Yes, the tree cover in Clear Lake is different in aesthetic from The Woodlands; a lot more live oaks, and palms in Clear Lake, vs many types of pine (loblolly, longleaf, etc) in the Woodlands. However, many of the bottomland forests throughout the Bay Area do contain heavy presence of pine trees (see Dickinson, La Porte, Baytown, etc). The tree shade shields the sun, and Clear Lake has plenty of trees around for that (particularly the southern live oaks).

[texas7]

If be willing to bet clear lake shores and clear lake city have nearly identical temps. That whole side of town benefits temp wise from being near the coast even if just a little bit. Then there are those who are in constant worry of a hurricane -- they should probably look for housing that is more north.