4 months of Texas summers versus 4 months of Midwest/Northeast winters (Dallas: live in, move to)

[DanielWayne]

I live with someone from Ohio. A lot of her family lives in Houston now. They all would choose the Texas heat easily over an Ohio winter.

[940]

Grew up in Texas…San Antonio…I have lived in the north now for a while and prefer having four seasons. I also don't mind the snow and cold…just layer up a bit more at times. Unless there's a blizzard happening, most folks are out and about enjoying winter activities and not hiding indoors, at least that's what I see in NYC or in far NE PA up in the Pocono Mountains where I have residences. Summers are glorious…I can have a rainy 75 degree day or a 60 degree night in July or August which is a nice change of pace from the extreme heat I endured with nonstop 100+ temps and no rain for months on end. To each his own, though…most of my family that still live in Texas can't handle the cold.

[C24L]

i would choose Texas summers.

[Thoreau424]

I know the heat (or more specifically heat and humidity) get a bum rap, but if you actually have spent winters in the north, you'll find that cold chilling to your very guts and soul. It's as if you're in slow death. And it extends out to nature itself, with life hibernating and going underground. Life is practically put on hold.

But heat is life and energy. Heat stirs up the molecules. And the body is hot too (98 degrees).

Do you want to live or hibernate? It's clear to me.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by 940

Grew up in Texas…San Antonio…I have lived in the north now for a while and prefer having four seasons. I also don't mind the snow and cold…just layer up a bit more at times. Unless there's a blizzard happening, most folks are out and about enjoying winter activities and not hiding indoors, at least that's what I see in NYC or in far NE PA up in the Pocono Mountains where I have residences. Summers are glorious…I can have a rainy 75 degree day or a 60 degree night in July or August which is a nice change of pace from the extreme heat I endured with nonstop 100+ temps and no rain for months on end. To each his own, though…most of my family that still live in Texas can't handle the cold.

Agreed. Winter offers all sorts of great winter recreation, skiing, snow shoeing etc. I find it easier to be outside and active in a northern winter than the Texas summer. That, and you are right, northern summer are wonderful, hot enough to get swimming and a sweat going, but not oppressive.

[RJ312]

Generally, Texas summers. I'm somewhat accustomed to hot weather at this point, having lived in Dallas for the better part of a decade, and Phoenix prior to that. My lifestyle and interests are now more suited to places without harsh winters. With that said, you never really get accustomed to Phoenix/Dallas. The heat is unpleasant in both places.

I want to point out that both Phoenix and Dallas do not have spectacular winters. Phoenix's winter is probably better, as a typical day is 65/70. However, there's a pretty big variation between day and night temperatures in Phoenix. That 65/70 temperature at 2 PM in January is typically around ~40 or so at midnight-1 AM. I've been outside on patios at some Scottsdale night spots at 1 AM in January and felt underdressed. If you ever do nightlife in either Phoenix or Dallas, you realize that these places aren't really prepared for winter because neither city does coat checks.

The polar plunges are things that I do not like about Dallas winters. In December 2013, it was 77 degrees one day and within 36 hours, there was an ice storm that paralyzed the city. Right now, it will be in the low 70s as a high today at 1-2 PM, and it was in the low 70s yesterday. By midnight-3 PM, it will be in the low to mid 40s and raining, and some outlying DFW areas might get a wintery mix. Tomorrow's high, 24 hours after 72 degrees, will be 42. Not good.

[tstone]

Native Houstonian- lived for nearly 2 years in north Pittsburgh suburbs and I'd rather deal with the heat. (Temps are most similar to Boston & Detroit there.)

We found much of that winter 'recreation' cannot be enjoyed because it is just too damn cold. I'd layer up with a base layer, long t-shirt, button up shirt, blanketed Carhartt jacket (that literally weighed 5 lbs), with another beanie on under the hood on top... a base layer + fleece lined jeans & thermal socks on the bottom but the cold would eventually seep through all of that after about 20 minutes. That was due to the high humidity... and that humidity can choke you when you breathe in, so you need a filter when it gets below 20F. So I would sometimes use a balaclava but that would get wet from a drippy nose.
That part of the country sees freezing temps most days over a 6 month period. Though summers are indeed great, it doesn't make up for the winters-- and "winters" run from mid fall to mid spring. It is also much too cloudy & dark as well, except for a 2 month stretch. But it is clear why so many people up there have caustic, rotten attitudes.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by tstone

Native Houstonian- lived for nearly 2 years in north Pittsburgh suburbs and I'd rather deal with the heat. (Temps are most similar to Boston & Detroit there.)

We found much of that winter 'recreation' cannot be enjoyed because it is just too damn cold. I'd layer up with a base layer, long t-shirt, button up shirt, blanketed Carhartt jacket (that literally weighed 5 lbs), with another beanie on under the hood on top... a base layer + fleece lined jeans & thermal socks on the bottom but the cold would eventually seep through all of that after about 20 minutes. That was due to the high humidity... and that humidity can choke you when you breathe in, so you need a filter when it gets below 20F. So I would sometimes use a balaclava but that would get wet from a drippy nose.
That part of the country sees freezing temps most days over a 6 month period. Though summers are indeed great, it doesn't make up for the winters-- and "winters" run from mid fall to mid spring. It is also much too cloudy & dark as well, except for a 2 month stretch. But it is clear why so many people up there have caustic, rotten attitudes.

Well you are from Houston Texas, and have thin Texas blood, people think it is cold when it is 60 in Houston. Most people don't need to dress up that much to be out in the cold, I'm usually good with just jeans gloves, hat and jacket.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by RJ312

The polar plunges are things that I do not like about Dallas winters. In December 2013, it was 77 degrees one day and within 36 hours, there was an ice storm that paralyzed the city. Right now, it will be in the low 70s as a high today at 1-2 PM, and it was in the low 70s yesterday. By midnight-3 PM, it will be in the low to mid 40s and raining, and some outlying DFW areas might get a wintery mix. Tomorrow's high, 24 hours after 72 degrees, will be 42. Not good.

Raining and just above freezing is pretty terrible weather.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

Well you are from Houston Texas, and have thin Texas blood, people think it is cold when it is 60 in Houston. Most people don't need to dress up that much to be out in the cold, I'm usually good with just jeans gloves, hat and jacket.

Well I won't deny that... I was razzed by one local for being ''dressed up like it was winter'' when it was 55 outside-- on a typical, early June morning. But I layered up to the extreme in winter because I was outdoors 1-3 hours a day. I was good to 15F, but below that forget it. I don't know if location had a bit to do with it, being on the windward side of the Appalachians, getting grazed by Noreasters & lake effect snow every so often. I know when those Noreasters grazed us the barometric pressure would drop and make me chilly / achy, even indoors.

On the flip side, people up there would turn bright red and sweat profusely when it reached the mid 80s, and a few got heat exhaustion when it topped out @ 88. When it gets to those temps up there the humidity drops making the heat index 90-92, and I would barely break a sweat. So it is all relative.

But one thing I absolutely could not get used to was swimming up there- it was absolutely miserable jumping in a pool during the summer. Their definition of "heated" is way off.