Dallas Weather

[houstonfella]

I have logged in countless times this summer to check the weather in H-town and Dallas. Dallas is hotter than hell. Heat indices always are 100+. Right now, at around 4 a.m. it is 91 degrees heat index up there. OK, it is 84 degrees heat index here, but please ........ admit it Dallas, you are damned HOT and that is not a compliment. I am glad to be in Houston where our intermittent rainstorms bring the heat down to tolerable levels. Humidity, no prob. Heat index of 108, yuck..... just my 2 cents of nuttin.

I love Texas, Dallas and Houston and Austin and SA and all the other towns. But I LOVE Houston.

[ProHouston]

I'd have to agree. People from Dallas are often quick to point out the high humidity in Houston but often fail to admit to the constant 100+ temps in their own city. Not all are guilty of this, but many are.

Dry heat of 105 vs. moist heat of 94 doesn't matter when you're getting in a car that's been parked in the sun for hours. It's a lot hotter in 105 degree heat.

[RedScare]

I'd have to agree. People from Dallas are often quick to point out the high humidity in Houston but often fail to admit to the constant 100+ temps in their own city. Not all are guilty of this, but many are.

Dry heat of 105 vs. moist heat of 94 doesn't matter when you're getting in a car that's been parked in the sun for hours. It's a lot hotter in 105 degree heat.

Here's something else that EVERYONE forgets, including Houstonians. High heat kills. High humidity saves lives. When Houston's humidity rises, even though it is uncomfortable, it keeps the temperature down. The lower temperature, even with the humidity, alleviates heatstroke. Seldom do you hear of heatstroke deaths in Houston. Either the lower temp helps, or the high humidity drives people indoors.

....and, it keeps your skin moist.

[Gary]

Funny this comes up as I was talking with an old friend in Dallas on Tuesday, and his business (Rainbow Play Systems) is dying because of the heat. He went on to say "nobody wants to venture out in the 109+ heat" (heat index).

[Gary]

I was talking with an old friend in Dallas last Tuesday, and his business (Rainbow Play Systems) is dying right now. He said that last Saturday not a soul stepped on his lot, a lot which normaly has at least 20 customers per day. He went on to tell me that the heat index has been sitting at 109 almost daily.

To put it bluntly, it was freaking HOT!! On top of that, everything, and I mean everything was extra crispy brown. In H-Town it's a nice green.

[VelvetJ]

Well, Dallas may be hotter but I still say Houston is the most uncomfortable. Dallas does seem to have had a particularly hot Summer this year with regard to high temperatures. And I will say out of the 17 years I've been in Houston, this Summer has been the coolest I've experienced here.

I think when looking at the picture as a whole, I still say Houston is hotter, simply due to my feeling Houston is the most uncomfortable, but still Dallas is no joke when it comes to heat.

[Gary]

Well, Dallas may be hotter but I still say Houston is the most uncomfortable. Dallas does seem to have had a particularly hot Summer this year with regard to high temperatures. And I will say out of the 17 years I've been in Houston, this Summer has been the coolest I've experienced here.

I think when looking at the picture as a whole, I still say Houston is hotter, simply due to my feeling Houston is the most uncomfortable, but still Dallas is no joke when it comes to heat.

Ahh Velvet, how did I know you would find Houston hotter? I know, I know, your a proud Houstonian.

[houstonfella]

Velvet needs to stop wearing velvet in the summertime in Houston

Don't worry, Dallas, your 20 degree winter nights are coming.... my banana trees are producing like rabbits because winter is elusive in H-town. I say this because I HATE winter. I HATE winter. I know others who do too.

[MidtownCoog]

I'll take Houston becuase we get rain.

Dallas and the rest of Texas are in or near drought.

My friend from Ft. Worth was here last week and could not belive how green everything is.

He said "Everything in Ft. Worth is burnt".

[KimberlySayWhat]

MidtownCoog:

Dallas and the rest of Texas are in or near drought.

My friend from Ft. Worth was here last week and could not belive how green everything is.

He said "Everything in Ft. Worth is burnt".

So true. I was up there for a couple of days last month and couldn't believe how brown it was. Even the large trees were droopy. My cousin had some crape murtle trees in the backyard and you could hardly tell they were crape murtles.

houstonfella:

Don't worry, Dallas, your 20 degree winter nights are coming.... my banana trees are producing like rabbits because winter is elusive in H-town. I say this because I HATE winter. I HATE winter. I know others who do too.

I'm one of those. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely ready for some cooler whether, but if I have to wear anything more than a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, it's too cold. Anything cooler than 65 degrees is too cold. I love Houston winters. We can grill outdoors. We can have both soups and BBQ, baked pies or ice cream almost anytime. It's like spring/fall most all winter long. I don't like so much the stuffiness of being bundled up with the heater going.

[Pumapayam]

My friend from Ft. Worth was here last week and could not belive how green everything is.

We get all that nice moisture from the coast.

I don't think Houston have ever had a real drought.

[houstonfella]

So true. I was up there for a couple of days last month and couldn't believe how brown it was. Even the large trees were droopy. My cousin had some crape murtle trees in the backyard and you could hardly tell they were crape murtles.

I'm one of those. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely ready for some cooler whether, but if I have to wear anything more than a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, it's too cold. Anything cooler than 65 degrees is too cold. I love Houston winters. We can grill outdoors. We can have both soups and BBQ, baked pies or ice cream almost anytime. It's like spring/fall most all winter long. I don't like so much the stuffiness of being bundled up with the heater going.

Kimberly, I think you and I have come up with a new season: Falling .... Fall and Spring ....

But I am with you on that winter thing. It sucks. Winds howling from the north and pipes breaking because it is a friggin deep freeze. Houston, we are No. 1 when it comes to winter.

Houston has two seasons: Summer and Falling. Nice ring to it. I am so clever I'm scared

[Houston19514]

Well, Dallas may be hotter but I still say Houston is the most uncomfortable. Dallas does seem to have had a particularly hot Summer this year with regard to high temperatures. And I will say out of the 17 years I've been in Houston, this Summer has been the coolest I've experienced here.

I think when looking at the picture as a whole, I still say Houston is hotter, simply due to my feeling Houston is the most uncomfortable, but still Dallas is no joke when it comes to heat.

Well, of course one cannot argue with your personal reaction to heat/humidity. But there is an objective way to measure this... it's called a heat index. And by that objective measure, well, see the first post in this thread.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Well, Dallas may be hotter but I still say Houston is the most uncomfortable. Dallas does seem to have had a particularly hot Summer this year with regard to high temperatures. And I will say out of the 17 years I've been in Houston, this Summer has been the coolest I've experienced here.

I think when looking at the picture as a whole, I still say Houston is hotter, simply due to my feeling Houston is the most uncomfortable, but still Dallas is no joke when it comes to heat.

If the heat index for one is hotter, then it doesn't matter anymore what the humidity level is (the heat index is the final product, not the humidity, which is a more of a pre-agitator of the final product). At that point, the body is reacting to the heat index. The humidity will affect the heat index, obviously, but if it affects are only to where the resulting index is still less than the actual heat index of someplace else, then "someplace else" is, by definition, hotter.

Not that I'm arguing a perception. It's how you feel. I'm just saying, from a biological and meteorlogical standpoint, the higher heat index is always the hotter consideration with regards to your body.

Anyway, a more specific point is that I don't see how anyone in Texas east of, say, San Angelo can even bother to try to make some notable difference between their summer heat and the heat here in Houston. Who gives a damn if on one particular day your lower humidity reduces your heat index by one or two degrees below Houston's. Are you really that grateful? Does your quality of life noticeably improves?

[KimberlySayWhat]

Or we can call it "sprall". Houston doesn't just have to have one kind of sprawl.

[Gary]

I'm wondering where Mr Dallasite, I mean Mr proud Houstonian, I mean Velvet is right now. he doesn't seem to want to answer his "pro Houston" post.

[dalparadise]

don't forget how JASON DFW or whatever his name is -- the guy that's always doing weather studies -- says that because of the lower humidity, when you sweat profusely in Dallas' drier air, the evaporative effect can make their heat index an entire degree cooler than here in Houston.

Of course, the trade off is that, in order for this pinhead theory to work, you have to stay in the heat longer in Dallas to build up that frothy sweat, to enjoy this 1-degree benefit. Otherwise, it just feels hotter on your walk to your car up there.

I can vouch for it. I've lived through some Dallas summers. I would have died long before I got that cool sweaty benefit of a lower heat index.

[MidtownCoog]

All bets are off if Ernesto comes to town. That's the price you pay for greenery.

My first job after college was in Big D.

That was the first time I'd ever been in a week long heat advisory and felt 90 hot degrees at 10pm.

Made me want to write an ode to humidity.

[J.A.S.O.N.]

I'll take Houston becuase we get rain.

Dallas and the rest of Texas are in or near drought.

My friend from Ft. Worth was here last week and could not belive how green everything is.

He said "Everything in Ft. Worth is burnt".

You have NO idea. This is misery

Rain, what's that? I'm in Denton now and we have had miserable summers for three years now. I actually miss the rain (seriously)! One thing I noticed also is that when I'm back home, there is usually a some sort of ""cool" breeze, or shade tree breeze. That wind in the Metroplex is hot, even at night. Driving in the car at night you can feel the warm air rising from the street, the only relief is inside.

[Trae]

don't forget how JASON DFW or whatever his name is -- the guy that's always doing weather studies -- says that because of the lower humidity, when you sweat profusely in Dallas' drier air, the evaporative effect can make their heat index an entire degree cooler than here in Houston.

What the ____ is that!

All bets are off if Ernesto comes to town. That's the price you pay for greenery.

Hope it doesn't come to town.

[JasonDFW]

I have logged in countless times this summer to check the weather in H-town and Dallas.

If you were interested in getting an accurate depiction of the climate of Dallas, you would not just look at a year that is on track to be the hottest year in the 107 year history of weather records in Dallas. Especially when you've just experienced a cooler than normal July in Houston.

That would be fairly comparable to going back to October 2004 in Houston and seeing heat indices at 100

[JasonDFW]

He went on to tell me that the heat index has been sitting at 109 almost daily.

This would be another example of exaggeration of weather. I know you're just passing on what you heard Gary so I hope you don't take offense in me pointing this out.

On a side topic of heat index, there is an easy way to see what temp/dewpoints residents of a particular city tolerate better. If you look watch closely at cars driving home from work in Dallas on an "El Paso weather" day, where it may be 101 with a dewpoint in the 50s you'll see a decent % of cars with the windows rolled down. I enjoy watching the progression of this at long stop lights when people start noticing others with their windows rolled down and realize it is rather nice out. This will not happen on a "Houston weather day" with temps in the 90s and say a 73

[RedScare]

On a side topic of heat index, there is an easy way to see what temp/dewpoints residents of a particular city tolerate better. If you look watch closely at cars driving home from work in Dallas on an "El Paso weather" day, where it may be 101 with a dewpoint in the 50s you'll see a decent % of cars with the windows rolled down.

Jason

I find a more reliable indicator to be the number of body trays occupied at the County morgue from heat stroke victims. DFW is at 14 and counting. I am unaware of any in Houston specifically tied to the heat.

Houston has only had one year in the last 6 with more than 2 100 degree days. That was 2005, when it hit 100 six times, never above. Houston has had 12 days at 100 or above in the last 6 years. Dallas has had 24 days above 100 in August 2006.

Repeat after me. "But, it's a dry heat. But, it's a dry heat."

[JasonDFW]

I find a more reliable indicator to be the number of body trays occupied at the County morgue from heat stroke victims. DFW is at 14 and counting. I am unaware of any in Houston specifically tied to the heat.

I find it more reliable to compare comparable years rather than picking the hottest in recorded history (Dallas) against a mediocre one in Houston. Of course, if we're comparing heat stroke vicitims lets get Chicago in there as it has way more than Houston over the past 20 years. It must be much hotter!

Houston has only had one year in the last 6 with more than 2 100 degree days. That was 2005, when it hit 100 six times, never above. Houston has had 12 days at 100 or above in the last 6 years. Dallas has had 24 days above 100 in August 2006.

"Hmmm, what's the biggest number I can use and avoid the 20 100 degree days of 2000 in Houston. Oh I know, 6! That's a perfect number to make things seem cool. I've got another idea, this August has had the highest average temps ever in Dallas history, that'd be a perfect month to compare to! So it IS cool after all!"

Repeat after me. "But, it's a dry heat. But, it's a dry heat."

Repeat after me, 160 years in Miami without a single 100

[houstonfella]

OK. It is 2:26 a.m. on Saturday morning in Texas.

Dallas: 90 degrees with heat index of 93

Houston: 81 degrees with heat index of 86

Don't try getting out of your element, Dallas, because you are HOT in August up there. Yes, we'll have days in Sept. that Dallas will be so nice and cool and we'll be sweatin' but right now, we have had the best summer in years. And Houston is the most air-conditioned city on the planet. Reliant loves our money and quite frankly I love Reliant.

Ernesto ... get outta here .... don't even think about it. Go straight to Mexico!!!

[JasonDFW]

OK. It is 2:26 a.m. on Saturday morning in Texas.

Dallas: 90 degrees with heat index of 93

Houston: 81 degrees with heat index of 86

I don't mean to be a pest but your data is incorrect. I just think it is important to be working from the same page, I'm not trying to argue against your point.

The 2am temp officially in Houston is 82

[RedScare]

"Hmmm, what's the biggest number I can use and avoid the 20 100 degree days of 2000 in Houston. Oh I know, 6! That's a perfect number to make things seem cool. Jason

I could've thrown in 2000, since Dallas had more than 40 100 degrees days that year as well, but it was atypical for Houston, in that dry winds were blowing from the north, making it very dry here, thus allowing the temp to spike to Dallas levels. Since the discussion was dry, hot Dallas and humid, hot Houston, it wasn't quite germaine to the conversation.

2000 was interesting, though. I vividly remember that Labor Day weekend as the most oppressive, breathtakingly hot week in my 30 years in Houston. Not only was Houston's record temp of 109 set, but there were several other days in a row of 107 and 108. It was literally hard to breath in that heat. Most surprising of all was that the daytime humidity on those days was always around 20%! In that sense, we got a taste of Dallas weather...very hot and very dry. In fact, that is how I know how miserable Texas 100 degree heat is. It is that weekend that I use for comparison when I say that I prefer Houston's hot and humid weather versus Dallas' very hot, not so humid weather....and the 8 years that I lived in Dallas and Fort Worth.

I realize this is a matter of preference, and that one acclimates to his surroundings. But, based on my own experience, plus the comments of my friends and family who have visited from Dallas this summer, I prefer Houston summers over Dallas'....so shoot me.

[dalparadise]

One other thing to consider is that Dallas blows.

[Gary]

Is there ever a time that Dallas isn't better than Houston? I'm constantly amazed at Dallas posters who never relinquish there pro Dallas stance, regardless of the facts presented. The fact is that Dallas is almost always hotter than Houston, browner than Houston and in the winter colder than Houston.

I know Houston is a crap hole in comparison, but can't you let us have one thing were better at?

[westguy]

I think Ernesto will become a Central Gulf Coast storm like Ivan or Lili, hopefully more like the latter.