ssullivan Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Just returned from a weekend in San Diego. Now that's weather I'd love -- highs were in the upper 70s/very low 80s over the weekend, with no humidity and nice steady breeze. We had brunch outside Saturday and dinner that night, and spent the afternoon at an outdoor festival. Despite getting a horrible sunburn thanks to ineffective sunscreen, it was perfect weather for being outdoors.Somehow I just can't bring myself to eating outside here when it's in the 90s with high humidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Give me an ice cold northern January day anytime. I can always put on a heavy coat, scarf, and gloves and be just fine.Oh, but I hate dressing that way. I hate winter clothing. If I have to wear anything warmer than a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, or better yet, a lightweight three quarter length-sleeved, I'd rather just not go out. My ideal winter dress attire is not having to wear anything more than a lightweight three quarter length-sleeved shirt. Luckily, living in Houston, I don't have to for the most part.On a July or August afternoon in Houston I could sit outside naked and still be miserable. Me too, but it beats shoveling snow, I reckon. I'm not saying that I love heat and humidity. I just know that I hate the cold and dreariness. I'm glad that our cold spells are only a couple of days long before it's back to the mid/high 70s again. Of course, though, it's murder on my lips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowspark Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Dry heat -- major BS.I traveled to Arizona in August a couple of years ago and believe me, the DRY heat was about ten times worse than the humid heat. You could hardly breathe!And the worst part is, they just don't seem to get the concept of air conditioning. No matter where we went, the AC was never any lower than about 80 degrees. There was no where to go for some cool relief!No wonder Houston is the AC capital of the world, we actually use it to cool things down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Oh, but I hate dressing that way. I hate winter clothing. If I have to wear anything warmer than a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, or better yet, a lightweight three quarter length-sleeved, I'd rather just not go out. My ideal winter dress attire is not having to wear anything more than a lightweight three quarter length-sleeved shirt. Luckily, living in Houston, I don't have to for the most part. Me too, but it beats shoveling snow, I reckon. I'm not saying that I love heat and humidity. I just know that I hate the cold and dreariness. I'm glad that our cold spells are only a couple of days long before it's back to the mid/high 70s again. Of course, though, it's murder on my lips.LOL - see I LOVE my winter clothing I rarely get to wear down here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlySayWhat Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 What's so annoying about this time of year is that I'm still shopping for summerish clothing and all they have out is clothes that we won't need until about November. I think it's cute that Houstonians want to wear winter clothing so bad. lol! Does anyone get that impression? I like seeing someone walking down the street with earmuffs on in 67 degrees. Cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Even though I can handle cold weather pretty well - if its 50 outside I have my coat (which keeps me warm to about 10 degrees!) on --- just so I can wear it. Although more than likely I have a pull-over rather than my coat.If only Houston had four seasons - apparently we did last year. It snowed someone said during Christmas week!! To bad I was in Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 6" in galveston the day before i left the country. it was great, my friends flew up north and missed it, and didn't get any snow! houston actually got a little less. galveston (from the chronicle): my apartment in clear lake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 I think the idea that 40 degrees feels colder in Houston than it does in a place up north with less humidity is hokum. See the following from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Air Resources Laboratory:Humidity and human comfort As anyone who has spent a summer in the southeastern United States can attest, high humidity can aggravate the effects of high temperature on human comfort. People may complain that humid air feels "heavy", but in fact, the more moisture in the air, the lower the air density. That is because the molecular weight of water vapor is lower the average molecular weight of the constituents dry air. The discomfort associated with high humidity is somewhat analogous to the wind chill effect, where high winds make people feel colder. Various indices, comparable to the wind chill index, have been developed to quantify the humidity effect; these include the apparent temperature, heat stress index, "humiture", and "humidex". Some of these can be adjusted to take into account the effects on solar radiation, wind speed, and barometric pressure on human comfort. The U.S. National Weather Service currently employs the "heat index." As relative humidity increases, so does human discomfort. For example, at an air temperature of 90oF (32oC) and 50% relative humidity, the air "feels" as if it were 96oF (36oC). The reason is that the moister the air, the larger the resistance to moisture loss (and therefore to heat loss via evaporation) from the human body to the air, because the air is closer to saturation. The humidity effect on comfort operates at low temperatures as well: people are more comfortable in cold air when humidity is high than low. NOAA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeightsGuy Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 There is some truth to the saying it's just as cold here. Example, would you rather spend time outdoors when it's 40 degrees and raining or 30 degrees and snowing? I'll guarantee you'll be more comfortable in 30 degrees and snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 That depends on how I'm dressed and whether I have an umbrella... Your post seems to suggest that "it's just as cold here" because it's not cold enough to snow (and, oh, by the way, we don't wear raincoats or carry umbrellas).You are mixing apples and oranges. By your own example, you are not comparing differences in comfort levels at the same temperature caused by relative humidity. The difference in comfort levels "guaranteed" in your example are a result of the different kinds of precipitation, not because of a difference in temperature. And your guaranteed answer to the question also seems to assume that one is dressed appropriately for 30 degrees and snow, but not so for 40 degrees and rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeightsGuy Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 No, you see, you're comparing examples on a peice of paper. Of course I know 30 degrees is colder than 40, duh. I am talking real word here, not statistics on paper. So, back in the real world, if I have to spend a day outside in the winter, properly clothed for either condition, yes, my apples say I will feel much better at the end of the day in 30 degrees and snow than 40 degrees and rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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