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Yes, Texas is bad compared to California, even Florida.
Worse than most of the US south,
only better than China.
Most of the US south is hot in summer, normal highs are 31C to 35C range,
except for in the mountains, nowhere with average highs below 30C.
Texas is even worse!
In much of Texas summer highs average 34C to 37C, with few places along the
Rio Grande even hotter.
Most of Texas also has high relative humidity too.
That combo makes for uncomfortable summers.
There is an ex-Canadian on C-D who comes onto the Canadian forum
and gloats how wonderful the Texas climate is and Canadian climates are crappy.
For me I'll take a crappy Canadian climate over most of Texas.
Except for a few micro climates like Port Isabel, El Paso, Fort Davis, Alpine.
I spent about 10 years in the DFW area so I know a little bit about that area and its 'climate'. I have also lived all across Canada from the Yukon to the northeastern tip of Nova Scotia.
What people enjoy (or in some cases, just can 'tolerate') differs for every person. I generally find that those who grew up in more northern climes, would take cold over heat any day - though that also varies by age ... which may imply that some climates are easier on arthritic limbs, thyroid conditions, etc. On the other hand, if one likes cold that doesn't mean they necessarily absolutely love humid cold (i.e. Ontario, especially eastern Ontario humid, raw cold versus a Yukon winter which may be 30 degrees colder but is dry). The same goes for heat. There is a big difference between a Las Vegas dry heat and Houston's (for me) almost unbearable humid heat. The 'feels like' factor is critically important.
DFW has its pros and its cons when it comes to weather. I was not surprised that I essentially could not go outside in summer there and that I had a very large a/c bill. I was surprised that in winter, though the temperatures were, for me, tolerable most of the time, there was, many years, what I would call a lot of freezing rain - similar to what I had experienced in Ontario. I prayed (as it seems that many locals did too) for long springs and falls .. but we didn't always get them .. just as one doesn't usually get those every single year in most places. I found out that in most cases 'decks and patios' are just for show there. You can't actually use them except after midnight most nights in summer.
I know southern born and bred people who hate cold (and what they call cold for me is not even sweater weather) and seem to absolutely love the humidity. I am totally uncomfortable in humid climates unless the temperatures are what I would call moderate - between 50 and 70 degrees. Otherwise, I grin and bear it but am not very happy or comfortable. My comfort range however in drier climates is much, much wider, even at a more advanced age - and I thrived in the Yukon when I was a child .. thought nothing of swimming in glacier fed lakes if the sun was shining but the temperature was around the 50 F mark - but you would not see me trying that now .. perish the thought. I absolutely hate eastern Ontario winters but don't mind a coastal Nova Scotian one .. even with the wind and a similar sort of humidity because the temperatures are slightly moderated on the coast. I dislike North Carolina summers - even in the mountains - but winter there is enjoyable, even if it snows and freezes.
Different strokes for different folks, at different ages. Chaqu'un a son gout (each to his/her own taste - and tolerance). Research before you move/visit or be prepared for surprises when it comes to 'climate' that you may not have reasonably expected based on the location of a particular place. And remember too that large cities often have micro-climates that do not exist in more rural areas, even close by - due the heat put out by masses of people and machines and buildings in close proximity.
Dallas' forecast high today is 102 F. Today maybe the first time this year they are above 100 F. I find that kind of surprising that Dallas' seasonal high is still only 100 F in August given how hot it can get out there during summer. I mean, that 100 F is about is hot as the south Atlantic cities of Charleston, Savannah, and Jacksonville have gotten this year. Dallas must have had a cooler than average July I imagine.
The only good climates (if you can stand the brutal humidity) in TX are Galveston, Port Aransas, Corpus and Port Isabel (which are all islands), the rest is either too cold in winter, and/or too hot in summer
As long as you are within 50 miles or so from the TX coast, then the climate is very Gulf influenced. Otherwise, you are in a land of extremes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by B87
Why the sudden change of direction in your posts?
Because I went to Durban, SA, and saw the light.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BMI
Yes, Texas is bad compared to California, even Florida.
Worse than most of the US south,
only better than China.
Most of the US south is hot in summer, normal highs are 31C to 35C range,
except for in the mountains, nowhere with average highs below 30C.
Texas is even worse!
In much of Texas summer highs average 34C to 37C, with few places along the
Rio Grande even hotter.
Most of Texas also has high relative humidity too.
That combo makes for uncomfortable summers.
There is an ex-Canadian on C-D who comes onto the Canadian forum
and gloats how wonderful the Texas climate is and Canadian climates are crappy.
For me I'll take a crappy Canadian climate over most of Texas.
Except for a few micro climates like Port Isabel, El Paso, Fort Davis, Alpine.
The heat in inland TX is very high compared to the Southern US; this diminishes once you get to East TX, though. The TX Gulf Coast is similar in temps to other parts of the SE US coast.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BullochResident
Dallas' forecast high today is 102 F. Today maybe the first time this year they are above 100 F. I find that kind of surprising that Dallas' seasonal high is still only 100 F in August given how hot it can get out there during summer. I mean, that 100 F is about is hot as the south Atlantic cities of Charleston, Savannah, and Jacksonville have gotten this year. Dallas must have had a cooler than average July I imagine.
Dallas has had 10 days at or above 100F so far this year. Houston at Bush had 2 such days, but everywhere else in the metro has yet to record 100F this year.
I wouldn't consider inland Texas a climate fail. July and August are often unacceptably dry and too hot, but May and June can have a decent amount of convective storms. Spring storms are pretty intense, although sometimes destructive with flooding, hail, and tornadoes. These spring storm complexes often weaken as they reach Louisiana. I don't consider the occasional winter storms and cold temps a bad thing.
I wouldn't consider inland Texas a climate fail. July and August are often unacceptably dry and too hot, but May and June can have a decent amount of convective storms. Spring storms are pretty intense, although sometimes destructive with flooding, hail, and tornadoes. These spring storm complexes often weaken as they reach Louisiana. I don't consider the occasional winter storms and cold temps a bad thing.
Unless from convection, Spring/Fall is the worst time to have a wet season (as seen in inland TX). The problem with storms in those times is that they are super strong, severe, and damaging (hail, tornadoes, etc). Summer storms aren't as damaging.
Those Spring storm complexes seem to be really present in inland TX, and die down when they reach the coast; did you know that Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio all have more Spring rainfall days than Houston or Beaumont (especially in May).
I wouldn't consider inland Texas a climate fail. July and August are often unacceptably dry and too hot, but May and June can have a decent amount of convective storms. Spring storms are pretty intense, although sometimes destructive with flooding, hail, and tornadoes. These spring storm complexes often weaken as they reach Louisiana. I don't consider the occasional winter storms and cold temps a bad thing.
The problem with July and August in inland TX is that high pressure, for some reason, always seems to center itself in the area. And there literally is no geographic explanation for it. It's as if God Himself is placing it there to punish the state (perhaps for something Rick Perry or Greg Abbott did).
On the other hand, if one likes cold that doesn't mean they necessarily absolutely love humid cold (i.e. Ontario, especially eastern Ontario humid, raw cold versus a Yukon winter which may be 30 degrees colder but is dry).
You were just imagining that it was humid because it was cloudy. I've done the same thing, apparently.
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