Transplants: FL vs TN weather (Memphis, Knoxville: home, calculator, moving to) - Tennessee - City-Data Forum

GetMeOutOfFlorida · 08-12-2010, 02:13 PM

For those who are from FL and have moved to TN, how do you rank the weather in TN vs FL?

Does the weather feel about the same? Are there parts of TN with the best weather?

I'm from South Florida, so anybody from this area, I'd love your thoughts.

Today it was 90 with a 70% humidity, I couldn't even go outside--I felt like I was choking.

DonCorleone · 08-12-2010, 02:41 PM

Right now we're in the middle of a near-record setting hot streak. A Nashville weatherman stated it has been almost 30 consecutive days with highs above 90. Our heat index has been above 100 consistantly for about a week or more. So, yeah, it definitely gets hot here and stagnant/humid.

We do get 4 seasons in Tennessee. Winter can get cold...several days or weeks at or below 25 degree highs. But we miss most of the severe stuff in the winter.

I know I'm not a Floridian, but I thought I'd take a stab at your questions.

DubbleT · 08-12-2010, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GetMeOutOfFlorida

Are there parts of TN with the best weather?

Yes the weather is different in the different parts of the state. For the last month or so I have been keeping up with the weather in Memphis, which is in the extreme southwest corner of the state, and in Bristol, which is in the far northeast corner of the state and at a higher elevation. Big difference most days. If you want a comparison take a peek at my blog here. I haven't been recording heat index for Bristol because so far it hasn't hit 100F yet, most days the heat index here is within four or five degrees of the actual temperature.

GetMeOutOfFlorida · 08-12-2010, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Yes the weather is different in the different parts of the state. For the last month or so I have been keeping up with the weather in Memphis, which is in the extreme southwest corner of the state, and in Bristol, which is in the far northeast corner of the state and at a higher elevation. Big difference most days. If you want a comparison take a peek at my blog here. I haven't been recording heat index for Bristol because so far it hasn't hit 100F yet, most days the heat index here is within four or five degrees of the actual temperature.

Thanks, I took a look at your blog and it seems that Bristol has the lowest dewpoint....is that similar to humidity rating? Does that mean that area is the cooler area compared to memphis and houston?

TN Tin Man · 08-12-2010, 03:34 PM

If you use Google or Yahoo you can put several weather links up for that section of the state city /town.. I have 4 city's weather on my Google Home Page.. After 4-6 months you kinda some what know the weather for that area of the state.. I can tell you they have 4 real seasons in Tennessee an real snow.. Not like Florida with 2 seasons... blah warm hot & wet.... and blah hotter than Hattie's...
One great thing about Tennessee "NO" Hurricanes !!!
You must travel too Tennessee Eastern or Middle this falls...you will not want to return too Florida..

Lamplight · 08-12-2010, 03:42 PM

I've been comparing weather in Key West and Fort Myers to ours here in Murfreesboro all summer long. So far I've only seen a handful of days where those cities were hotter and/or more humid than here, but half the time it's been raining there when I check. However, it seems to stay a little hotter there throughout the night. I don't think it's normally hotter here, but this summer has been unusual. This afternoon the Weather Channel had our heat index at 115F. The actual temperature at that moment was 103-4.

DubbleT · 08-12-2010, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GetMeOutOfFlorida

Thanks, I took a look at your blog and it seems that Bristol has the lowest dewpoint....is that similar to humidity rating? Does that mean that area is the cooler area compared to memphis and houston?

There's a big long explanation of dew points that I don't entirely follow, but I do know that dew point is a little bit better indication of comfort level, or the 'stickiness factor' than humidity ratings IMO.
Somewhere in my blog there is a day where Memphis and Houston have exactly the same temperature but the dew point is a few degrees higher in Houston, making it feel hotter than Memphis that day even though temps are the same.

Heat index, or what the temperature "feels like" at 3:30 this afternoon in Bristol was 88F, in Memphis it was it was 117F. So Bristol "felt" cooler than Memphis by 29 degrees this afternoon. Bristol is definitely the coolest out of the three areas. Maybe one of the coolest areas in the state, or at least I hope so, because it's one of the reasons I moved here.

If you want to know the heat index of the different places in TN (or anywhere really) you can use this calculator to figure it out for you. Heat Index Calculation

kamoshika · 08-12-2010, 07:46 PM

NE Tenn. and the Cumberland Plateau consistently have the state's coolest temps.

FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010 · 08-12-2010, 07:55 PM

We are in So FL and moving to TN soon. We have been there quite often getting things ready for our move.
By your name I'm guessing that you are looking to make a move.
We were in TN the first week of July and it was 95, 96 & 97 in the hottest part of the day. And it was hot but IMO I don't think it feels as hot as it does in FL. When we were packing the car in FL it was 96 and it felt like you could hardly breath. And when we were walking around on our property in Southeast TN it was tolerable even though it was hot. Didn't seem to take your breath away. Where in So FL are you? And I have heard from a lot of people that it is much hotter in middle and west TN.

hiknapster · 08-12-2010, 08:14 PM

We're from southwest Florida. Our daughter was born in Naples. But originally, I was born and raised in Massachusetts. So, to me, the weather here is perfect.

Yes, it is ALL about the dewpoint. Even when we have had record-breaking heat the past few weeks, it was NOTHING compared to south Florida. It can be the same temp and humidity but the dewpoint is what is different and why the previous poster felt more uncomfortable in Florida. Even in Chattanooga it is more tolerable than south Florida.

And of course, we don't have the length of heat that Florida has. We have four evenly-spaced seasons up in Knoxville.

The natives will tell you that the summers are hot, hot, hot but believe me, you know what REALLY hot is. They also claim that it is cold, cold, cold and they sometimes get lots of snow. Now, if you are a native Floridian, that could be true to you, regarding winter. But to me, they have a very mild winter and they have no idea what "real" snow is. But, like I said, if you are truly a Floridian, it could feel very cold to you.

I think us "halfbacks" like the TN weather the most.