Why is the weather in Houston, TX so bad? (San Antonio: homes, middle school)

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Terr

Yep. Way more than I "enjoy" Chicago winters, indoors and heated.

It’s even better outside, specially when your car breaks

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Terr

Yep. Way more than I "enjoy" Chicago winters, indoors and heated.

Let me ask this. Is it more expensive to heat a home in a Chicago winter or cool a home in a Houston summer? Let's compare January in Chicago to July in Houston utility bills (gas + electric) for a similar square foot home.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I never minded the Houston heat and humidity. Now, if I had to be working outside all day doing hard labor, I probably wouldn't care too much for the high heat and high humidity, but most of my day is spent indoors in ac. The hardest part is getting the car cooled down after it's set in the sun all day, and takes maybe all of 2 to 3 minutes until it's comfortable to be in and drive home. Generally, I like the summer heat. It feels especially good on my skin when I first step outside after I've been in an air conditioned building for several hours.

Houston is the only place that I've ever been where the humidity was so high that thick clouds of steam that looked like fog was coming thru the air conditioning vents of the vehicle I was driving.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by cBach

Let me ask this. Is it more expensive to heat a home in a Chicago winter or cool a home in a Houston summer? Let's compare January in Chicago to July in Houston utility bills (gas + electric) for a similar square foot home.

But that has nothing to do with which one is more comfortable. The cost isn't THAT much different. Plus, up north, there are alternatives to heating like a stove if you so choose, in Texas, you have one option: AC.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Why do people move to Houston if they hate Houston weather so much?

Jobs. Most Transplants I know hate Texas weather, but sometimes other factors outweigh the cruddy weather.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by newhomebuyer281

Is it simply because of the combination of heat and humidity? I have been to other places around the country for business, and nothing is as bad as Houston during the summer. The best word to describe the humidity is "oppressive".

Yeah, it really is that simple. Heat+Humidity.

[Thoreau424]

There's already a ton of people living here. The weather helps in that regard. If the weather was better, we'd have most of the population here.

It's also a measure of whether or not people have the "right stuff". Those who can deal with the weather deserve to be here. It's just as much a willpower measure as those who can tolerate bitter colds and winters, or uber wealthy regions.

[lhafer]

I’m a native Texan and have lived in Houston since 2001. I have yet to get used to the humidity here. I grew up outside of San Antonio,then moved to Fort Worth in middle school, went to college in Austin. Love the hill country weather the best...for Texas.

But I hate hot summers in general and try to take long summer breaks up north.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

But that has nothing to do with which one is more comfortable. The cost isn't THAT much different. Plus, up north, there are alternatives to heating like a stove if you so choose, in Texas, you have one option: AC.

In East Texas yes but in California and the Desert Southwest (including West Texas) you can use a "swamp cooler". It can lower the temp from 110 to 75 with no problem if the dewpoint is dry (like 40). A swamp cooler uses water run over coils and a fan blows from outside into the house. The air is distributed into the house via the vents. It is usually mounted on the top of the house because it has to tap into the vents of the house.

Here's an example in Barstow, which regularly gets 110 but is bone dry (dewpoint is 39F right now):

Pressure29.84 in
Visibility10 miles
Clouds
Few 11000 ft
Dew Point39 °F
Humidity8%

Almanac for July 28, 2018
FORECASTAVERAGE *RANGE *
Temperature
High 107 °F 105 °F 98 to 114 °F
Low 77 °F 74 °F 69 to 83 °F

Here's an example swamp cooler. They work great in desert weather.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.8755...7i13312!8i6656

They are dirt cheap too. Just uses a little water, very little A/C.

[texas7]

Me too. Summer is my favorite season here.