Cape Cod in August - A/C or not?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm a returning member after taking a few years' hiatus from travelling.

My family and I (hubby and our girls, 2 and 4) are going to Cape Cod for a week in August. We're looking for a house or cottage to rent and notice that some do not have air conditioning.

Is A/C a necessity on the Cape at that time of the year or can we get by with fans and open windows? We live in the Ottawa area in Canada and are used to some unbearable summer heat (30 Celsius (86 F), 35 (95 F) with humidity).

What are your experiences?

Thanks,

Erika

We have traveled to Cape Cod from Washington, DC every year for the last seven to spend the last week of August at our favorite rental home (that lacks AC) in Brewster. Over the seven trips, we had one week with temperatures in the 90s nearly the entire week, and were quite comfortable at night with the fans. There's never been an issue with the humidity, either, at least during that last week.

Are you asking if you can put up with the humidity (which you've already said you can and do) or if you should?

Thanks for the replies.

Dukey1, perhaps I should have said that we know what high humidity feels like in the summer. We actually have a very hard time with it and have central air at home. It's even more of a concern because of our young daughters.

What I am asking is just how humid it gets in Cape Cod and whether we can make do with fans in the first week of August.

86 degrees is hardly unbearable. I've been on the Cape when it was 95 during the day with high humidity - and would never consider a place without AC. (Yes - if you are out on the water - or at night - it can be cooler. But the inside of a house can still be hot as hell.)

Central air is rare in Cape homes. I think you would be fine without a/c - of course you could hit an unusually hot spell, but I am not good at weather forecasting 3 months out

Only the newer rentals would have a/c I think. We've never had a/c at the Cape and we've stayed in June, July, and August. It's usually about 10 degrees cooler than in Boston (not always but often), and we've always had good sleeping weather.

The houses and cottages where we've stayed are not right on the beach, but usually with a yard and trees.

Central air is more often found in newer, higher priced homes. Some more moderately priced homes will have window A/C units. We have one of the highest electric rates in the country and many owners do not want to add that cost to their bills.

It's impossible to predict the weather this summer. Two years ago it was very hot, last year much more comfortable. It does cool down at night and the fans do help. I would say if you can find one with A/C in your location and price point you should take it. Especially since you have it at home and are used to it.

Also, where on the Cape? Some areas are cooler than others due to proximity to water. It's cooler on the Outer Cape than inland in Marstons Mills for example.

I agree with Gomiki. If you can get it, go for it.

I live on Nantucket, where it is even cooler than the Cape, but we reluctantly put in window units in the bedrooms to control humidity. Most of the newer houses have central air, few of the older ones do. But it is nice to get ready for church or dinner and be able to walk out the front door dry.

That said, it usually goes well down into the 60's at night, even in August, and the worst of the hot weather statistically is over by the beginning of the second week in August.

Some cottages might have window AC units, I would imagine.....

We have spent 2 weeks on the Cape in August every year for the past 10 years, and we have been going down every summer for 30+ years. Sometimes you can get by with just a fan, but other times it would have been really miserable without AC. So the answer to your query is--unfortunately-- "no way to be sure".

Thank you, everyone for your replies. I realize it's hard to predict what the weather will be like. I was just more curious about the humidity levels on the Cape during the summer.

We think we've found a house with A/C, so that solves the problem. It's good to know about electricity rates as well so we can save energy when possible.

Thanks again - it's good to be talking travel again!

Erika

Of course you should have it. Then there are choices. You won't have to go to the mall to cool off.