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-   -   Austin Summer Heat & Humidity?? (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/austin-summer-heat-and-humidity-705926/)

JennyJJJ May 17th, 2007 10:58 AM

Austin Summer Heat & Humidity??
 
Hello!

We are thinking of relocating to Austin area and were wondering how bad is the heat/humidity?

We had gone to Corpus Christi in Aug and it was unbearable and there were mosquitos that were big enough to carry off a small child! LOL

Is it as bad as that? Is it as bad as Florida?

Thanks!

dfr4848 May 17th, 2007 11:12 AM

Absolutely not. Austin is pretty dry. Being in the center of the state, Austin is pretty much on the boundary between the wet, humid eastern part of the state and the dry, arid west. It's not like Corpus which is on the Gulf and it's not like Florida. It IS hot, but you won't find the bugs like you saw in Corpus.
It is of course relative. You don't say where you live, but when I was in school in Austin, I (being from SE Texas) thought the humity was very low; one of my roommates was from Amarillo and he complained about how high the humidity was. So it depends on where you're from....

JennyJJJ May 17th, 2007 12:17 PM

I'm from Ohio.

I don't like Phoenix heat, that takes my breath away and I didn't like the Corpus Christi humidity. I am hoping Austin is better than both.

Is it 6 months of hot Summers?

dfr4848 May 17th, 2007 12:28 PM

Jenny - no. July - mid Sept are the hotest, most uncomfortable. June often isn't bad, but it can be warm. I don't care for Phoenix heat either and Austin doesn't get that hot. It's not nearly as humid as Corpus. BTW - our daughter just returned from her first year of college in Ohio and she thought there were some days when it was just as humid as Houston.

maria_so May 17th, 2007 12:41 PM

For me, Austin is not as humid as where I am (in Housotn) but it can get humid. I have to disagree about the mosquitos though. They make their presence known, definitely.

Having said that, I LOVE Austin and try to go there as often as we can.

beckytx May 17th, 2007 01:08 PM

Keep in mind that Austin is near many lakes and natural pools, so its easy to cool off if/when the heat gets to you. Plus, you won't have the harsh winters of the midwest! I went to school in Austin, and have family in Ohio, so I've spent plenty of time in both places. Maybe you could plan a weekend visit in July to give yourself a general idea.

cabovacation May 17th, 2007 01:14 PM

It does depend on where you are from. My dd and sil excitedly move there from the SF Peninsula...for the fun lifestyle and cheap housing....but they soon bored of the sameness of the fun...and after three months of heat they came back home. Of course, we all know that native California children are spoiled beyond reason. :)

maria_so May 17th, 2007 03:56 PM

....if I lived in California (as long as it's not LA), I don't know if I would want to move! :-) But that's just me. For us Houstonites who love the outdoors, Austin is as best as it gets here. You live with the slightly less humidity and the mosquitos.

P_M May 17th, 2007 03:59 PM

Austin is not as bad as the coastal cities, but we are surrounded by lakes so it's not dry like West TX. I agree with the suggestion to come for a visit.

trippinkpj May 17th, 2007 06:40 PM

Yes do visit in July or August. My daughter lives there (we are native SF Bay Area people), and she finds the summers long and hot. Compared to what she grew up with. She says it's more humid than San Jose where we live, and it's pretty hot for 4-5 months.

ilovetulips May 17th, 2007 06:42 PM

Jenny,

As others have mentioned, we don't have near the level of humidity as Corpus Christi. I would say in the summer our humidity averages 20-30%. It will feel more humid than Phoenix though. Summer lasts usually from June to early October and temps range from the low 90's to the occasional 100's in July and August. I encourage you to come see Austin for yourself, this part of Texas is the best!

wally34949 May 18th, 2007 04:01 AM

I just got back from Austin and the weather was good. Highs were around 90 and lows of 65 were ideal for me. In July and August it can get up to 105, but the humidity is lower and there are lakes to cool off at.

JennyJJJ May 19th, 2007 09:35 AM

Thanks everyone! I feel better. I don't want to be liked but I don't want to feel like I am in a steam bath! LOL

I just love the people in Texas. They are so kind and friendly. I can't wait to move there!Thanks!

bkluvsNola May 20th, 2007 07:36 AM

Austin weather is definitely drier than Houston/Corpus Christi.

It does get hot mid summer, but not anything like Phoenix.

The good news is that there are plenty of places to cools down that are really fun. Barton Springs is a natural spring fed pool that is 68 degrees year round. One dip in that, even on a 100 degree day, and you'll be refreshed for the rest of the day.

Hamilton Pool is a natural spring fed pool as well, with a picturesque waterfall. There's a nice beach area and the water is clear and cool.

Then, you have Lake Travis and Lake Austin, which are popular boating areas. There's also Hippie Hollow for those that want to "bear it all".

All in all, it's a great place to be in the heat, because there's so many places to cool off.


trippinkpj May 20th, 2007 06:28 PM

For most of us in inland CA (excluding the desert and central valley), we tend to have hot spells of 3 - 5 days of temps 95F plus and maybe 3 - 5 of those each summer. The rest of that time we are typically in the 80's. According to DD and others (natives and CA transplants), Austin doesn't have those short hot spells. It stays in the 90's (sometimes over a 100) for June - Sept. And here where I live in San Jose, CA, it cools done to the 60's at night, even during those hot spells. I think there are many summer nights in Austin where it stays 80 F plus. Just some thoughts for west coasters. I would choose Austin over Houston or Phoenix though, for weather and other reasons!

bkluvsNola May 23rd, 2007 08:05 PM

trippinkpj,

Yes, I know, you don't have to brag about California's weather. I lived in San Jose and Santa Clara, so I know what it's like there - very nice.

The only thing I don't miss is the rainy season. That November to April period is pretty cold, rainy, and gloomy, although there are nice days here and there.

The winter in Austin is quite nice, except for those infrequent arctic invasions when there is an ice storm. At those times, I'll take the rain of California anyday! A heat wave here or there to remind you that it's summer everywhere else and why you live in CA was always good for a change of pace.

Bisbee May 23rd, 2007 11:04 PM

Austin Average Weather

http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/w...=&units=us

ronnie36 Apr 22nd, 2008 04:27 AM

Austin is hot and humid(not as humid as the Houston area from late May until early October.


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