About the weather.. (Houston, Dallas, Austin: job market, allergies, living in)

[violetnights]

Houston summers are anything but gloomy and gray. You feel the wrath of the sun until about 10 pm. I agree with the poster who suggested visiting during the summer. Some people find it tolerable; I personally found the heat oppressive and it was a prime factor in my decision to move North. I even found walking in the parking lot from my air conditioned work to my air conditioned car unbearable and depressing. I will take this subzero (with wind-chill) NY winter over a Houston summer any day. But that's just me. Good luck.

[JoshRall]

You don't have to argue about the weather here: I have the facts. Even San Francisco has more clear days than Houston.

Houston:


San Francisco:

[jtothemak]

It's hot during the summer but it is January and it was in the 70s today. Can't complain about that. Minus a few places do you want a really cold winter or a hot summer. But yes the summers are hot and humid.

[texas7]

Sorry but a chart isn't fac for me. Fact is being here, seeing it and living it. Summer is hot and sunny unless we have a storm going on. I love the heat and humidity of summer but I have a very low tolerance for cold and rain. I'm a Texas native so guess that is just what I am accustomed to.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by WhatUpFLA

So summer in Houston is a lot like summer in South Florida: gloomy, partly to mostly cloudy, unbearably humid, and rainy?

I'm so glad you mentioned that because that type of summer weather, the type both you and I described, is exactly the type of summer weather I'm trying to get away from. I'd love to move to TX from south FL, but I want to move to a metropolitan area that has hot, cloudless, moderately dry summer days. From what I've gathered on this forum, it seems as though Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio would fit the bill.

Could someone please tell me which city they think would work best for me based on the type of summer weather I prefer? Right now, it's a toss-up between Dallas and Austin with San Antonio rounding out my short list. The Panhandle and western TX are out of the question.

Thank you.

No, San Antonio is not dry either.

Climate Information for San Antonio*-*Texas*-*Southwest*-*United States*-*Climate Zone

Dallas

Climate Information for Dallas - Fort Worth*-*Texas*-*Southwest*-*United States*-*Climate Zone

Houston

Climate Information for Houston*-*Texas*-*Southwest*-*United States*-*Climate Zone

Austin

Climate Information for Austin*-*Texas*-*Southwest*-*United States*-*Climate Zone

Note, Phoenix is dry with an average relative humity of 46%

All the Texas cities are over 70%

[NTT]

LOL, I recently was watching the news about all the freezing weather up north states. One of our reporter was briefly interviewing a resident there about the extreme weather. He made a comment of how fortunate we are and to stay in the south where it's warm and sunny.... LOL..

As for me, my family moved to Houston from Colorado. We live here for almost 35 years now, and used to this weather. I rather have a few days of 100+ degrees in the summer than months of hard winter up north.

The highest temperature of the day is not 24/7. It's just a few hours in the afternoon. Nighttime is comfortable temperatures. Really, it's not as harsh as many makes it to be. Unless, your job is working outdoor. Otherwise, we're mostly surrounded with indoor A/C. This city's large population wouldn't even exist if it's so unbearable.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by JoshRall

You don't have to argue about the weather here: I have the facts. Even San Francisco has more clear days than Houston.

Houston:


San Francisco:

Yes, "even San Francisco," (which is one of the sunniest cities in the country) has more clear days than Houston.

To the OP's concerns -- no, Houston is not "gloomy" but it is a lot like South Florida, only more humid and a bit stormier in Summer. Houston gets a lot of rain (in big downpours separated by stretches of partly cloudy, hot and humid days, rather than constantly cloudy and "gloomy" days. Houston is not "moderately dry," as the OP requests, so it may not be a great match. Its humidity is on-par with New Orleans.

Dallas is a bit drier and hotter than Houston. Austin's weather is similar to Houston's, with a bit less humidity and storms. Either of these would probably fit the OP's bill. The differences from Houston are subtle, though.

That Gulf influence makes all the difference. The humidity keeps nights sticky and warm and days hot and buggy. Often, with all the moisture in the air, thunderstorms will pop up in the heat of the afternoon, dump an inch of rain and move on. Overall, Houston is a hot and often stormy city with high humidity, but it is certainly not gloomy in the summertime.

Still, given the OP's stated parameters, I think I'd pick Dallas.

[kaiden22]

We moved from the Seattle area last July and we love it here! Yes, summer was quite hot and although afternoon thunderstorms were frequent, far from gray and gloomy. That said, I heard that we had a relatively comfortable summer compared to past years. AC is everywhere, and the mornings and evenings feel amazing. Humidity is pretty high in the summer and occasionally throughout the fall and winter since it's a sub-tropic climate, but we don't mind it at all. It's the fall and winter that have been incredible though. We are used to being stuck indoors pretty much from Oct-May, with the exception of a few nice days in between, so we love the outdoor lifestyle here. Feel free to message me if you have any questions! Best of luck!

[Copsgirl73]

Originally Posted by kaiden22

We moved from the Seattle area last July and we love it here! Yes, summer was quite hot and although afternoon thunderstorms were frequent, far from gray and gloomy. That said, I heard that we had a relatively comfortable summer compared to past years. AC is everywhere, and the mornings and evenings feel amazing. Humidity is pretty high in the summer and occasionally throughout the fall and winter since it's a sub-tropic climate, but we don't mind it at all. It's the fall and winter that have been incredible though. We are used to being stuck indoors pretty much from Oct-May, with the exception of a few nice days in between, so we love the outdoor lifestyle here. Feel free to message me if you have any questions! Best of luck!

Perfect! Someone from Seattle who gets exactly where I am coming from! So excited to hear you like it! I can deal with a few hours indoors because of the heat. I cannot deal with 8 months of indoors because its too cold/rainy/snowy/windy and overall gross outside. But the way some people talk about Houston you would think no one ever went outside because of the heat either
I had a bit of Spring Fever with that bit of sun I saw the other day, then was reminded that it doesnt get nice around here until the day after July 4th and I am ready to get out of here!

[mingna]

Originally Posted by Copsgirl73

I see and hear from so many that the weather in Houston is absolutely horrendous...with summers being unbearable and stifling hot. ... We are definitely excited about the prospect of moving to a city where we can actually do things outside once in a while

I grew up in the Upper Midwest and actually enjoy the cold, so it certainly took some adjusting, but I think we've learned how to manage Houstons' (in)famous summer heat and humidity. I find Houston receives more than adequate sunshine; I don't get the "cloudy day blues" I would normally get from the extended dreary days of other places. In fact, there are many times when I pray for cloud cover, if only to offer some semblance of relief from the relentless heat.

Winters here are a boon for those that love outdoor activities. You can enjoy doing those things that would normally be reserved for summer in the colder states. The temps are relatively mild, and mosquitos tolerable. In the summer (and sometimes spring and fall) we've found it necessary to adjust our internal clocks in order to enjoy any outdoor activities. That means I get my runs in very early in the mornings (before sunrise), or wait until near sunset. Ha,ha during our first year here we made the mistake of taking the kids to the pools and playgrounds at midday, only to consistently find ourselves the only ones there. The (warm) pool water offered little relief from the heat, so the kids ended up huddling in the shaded baby splash pool.

So yeah, it gets hot, but it is also definitely manageable.