how hot does houston get? (Howe, Point: apartment complexes, living in, restaurant)

[CoreLysium]

Originally Posted by MobileDave

I like the charts that you have but disagree with the humidity ones.

I agree with everything you say, but it must be pointed out that the actual amount of water vapor isn't the point. Relative humidity is related to comfortableness due to the closeness to the dew point preventing sweat from evaporating. And, true, graphs that show averages for months with data taken over years don't keep the reality of one day, but they're all we have in this case, unless someone is asking how bad the weather was in Houston on a particular day.

I think we all realize that when it's raining in the afternoon and steams everyone up that it's 100% relative humidity, and based on charts of averages, this kind of event never happens.

So, yes, I realize the data is not perfect, but the way we feel about humidity is based on the relative humidity and not just the amount of vapor in the air.

Does make me curious about how dry the dry heat is.

[lhafer]

Originally Posted by 89david98

Ha come to west Texas and see if dry heat is comfortable. I've been here my whole life 23 years and cant wait til day after tomorrow when I head to Houston. 105 with a heat index of 93????!!!! Ummmmmmmm NOOO!! more like 105 with a heat index of 115 with ZERO Cloud cover. Its 95 degrees by 9:30am. and wont cool off by much by midnight. And we're talking April/May. Come get a taste of a West Texas summer. you be running back to the beach your 3rd day.

Well, let's see. A couple of weeks ago I flew to Midland for the day. My flight from IAH left at 8:50am. Got to the airport around 7:30am. Got to Midland around 10:30am. Midland's high temp that day was 103. I was out driving around or outside ALL that day while we were there. Our flight back to Houston left at 6:40pm. We were home around 8:30pm.

The ONLY time I sweated that entire day was when I was walking from my car to IAH and walking back to my car that night. I didn't sweat in the dry heat. And it was so much nicer than walking around feeling damp, having the hot air difficult to breathe (think wet sauna air), and having your clothes clinge to you.

Breezed don't cool things off here. Shade doesn't cool things off here. But it's all about whether or not you prefer humidity. I don't.

[jtothemak]

Originally Posted by lhafer

Well, let's see. A couple of weeks ago I flew to Midland for the day. My flight from IAH left at 8:50am. Got to the airport around 7:30am. Got to Midland around 10:30am. Midland's high temp that day was 103. I was out driving around or outside ALL that day while we were there. Our flight back to Houston left at 6:40pm. We were home around 8:30pm.

The ONLY time I sweated that entire day was when I was walking from my car to IAH and walking back to my car that night. I didn't sweat in the dry heat. And it was so much nicer than walking around feeling damp, having the hot air difficult to breathe (think wet sauna air), and having your clothes clinge to you.

Breezed don't cool things off here. Shade doesn't cool things off here. But it's all about whether or not you prefer humidity. I don't.

You did sweat in the dry heat don't be fooled. It just evaporated so quick you did not notice. Easiest way to get dehydrated because you don't realize you are sweating. Lived in Arizona, so much fun at midnight still being 100 degrees but it was a dry heat. They forget to tell you about Monsoon season. But 116 degrees out you stay dry but you are actually sweating perfusely.

[lhafer]

Originally Posted by jtothemak

You did sweat in the dry heat don't be fooled. It just evaporated so quick you did not notice. Easiest way to get dehydrated because you don't realize you are sweating. Lived in Arizona, so much fun at midnight still being 100 degrees but it was a dry heat. They forget to tell you about Monsoon season. But 116 degrees out you stay dry but you are actually sweating perfusely.

Yes, I know. But the difference is feeling nasty or not. You can drink lots of water in hot dry weather, and not feel disgusting like you need a shower 2 minutes after walking outside (sweaty, sticky clothes, nasty hair, etc). Lots of water is required because you sweat and don't really realize it. I never even felt like I was hot.

Or.

You can drink lots of water in a humid climate because you are sweating buckets of sweat and need to replinish your electrolytes.

Pick your poison. I prefer dry heat any day of the week.

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by MIBS98

I lived in Columbia for three years. It definitely gets hot but not quite Houston hot.

This says different:

Climate Comparison for Houston, TX and Columbia, SC

I'm not saying they're identical, but the differences are minute; especially compared to cooler parts of the southeast. They're further inland, so they'd be slightly less humid, but that's about it.

This is the exact month I was last in Columbia, and it was certainly as hot as I remember it:

History | Weather Underground

[MobileDave]

Originally Posted by lhafer

Yes, I know. But the difference is feeling nasty or not. You can drink lots of water in hot dry weather, and not feel disgusting like you need a shower 2 minutes after walking outside (sweaty, sticky clothes, nasty hair, etc). Lots of water is required because you sweat and don't really realize it. I never even felt like I was hot.

Or.

You can drink lots of water in a humid climate because you are sweating buckets of sweat and need to replinish your electrolytes.

Pick your poison. I prefer dry heat any day of the week.

Agreed. That sweat evaporating from your skin is what actually cools your body and that happens rapidly in a dry climate so it works well to keep you cool. In a humid climate your stuck with that sweat just hanging around on you and you never cool so your body feels the need to keep producing it because it's not doing its job.

I would much rather drink a bunch of water (which I do anyway) and feel cool.

[jtothemak]

Originally Posted by lhafer

Yes, I know. But the difference is feeling nasty or not. You can drink lots of water in hot dry weather, and not feel disgusting like you need a shower 2 minutes after walking outside (sweaty, sticky clothes, nasty hair, etc). Lots of water is required because you sweat and don't really realize it. I never even felt like I was hot.

Or.

You can drink lots of water in a humid climate because you are sweating buckets of sweat and need to replinish your electrolytes.

Pick your poison. I prefer dry heat any day of the week.

Then don't live in Houston. I hated shoveling snow so I moved away from Boston and will never live there again. I picked my poison and picked where I want to live and deal with the climate. If I hated as much as some people on here are posting I would have never moved back to Houston. Guess some people just like to complain. However I will say if you quaddrobled my salary I would go back to living on the coast of Southern California with beautiful weather all year round but since I don't make that kind of money I will stick with a warm summer/mild winters and low cost of living with a beautiful home that would not even by me a shack in Cali.

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Originally Posted by David Dollar

So far this year has been good for me. It has not been too uncomfortable to be outside. I am a little worried about what there is to come.

Be afraid, be VERY afraid!

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

Western North Carolina's weather is pretty much perfect.

[MIBS98]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

This says different:

Climate Comparison for Houston, TX and Columbia, SC

I'm not saying they're identical, but the differences are minute; especially compared to cooler parts of the southeast. They're further inland, so they'd be slightly less humid, but that's about it.

This is the exact month I was last in Columbia, and it was certainly as hot as I remember it:

History | Weather Underground

Look at the average low, therein lies your major difference. Where it comes to temperature averages, a few degrees is massive (just look at what happens to natural gas storage when average temperature deviates by a couple degrees).