Is Houston's climate underrated? (Dallas, San Antonio: homes, tornadoes, live)

[Pink Jazz]

If you remember I previously did a thread asking why Houston is not a snowbird destination. The answers were varied.

However, it does seem to me that very few seem to hold Houston's climate in high regard despite the warm winter temperatures. Houston has comparable winter average (although not extreme) temperatures to Phoenix, and is warmer on average than places such as Jacksonville, Florida.

So, do you think Houston's climate is underrated?

[houston-nomad]

We are lacking the two nicest seasons of the year: spring and fall.

[AcresHomes44]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

We are lacking the two nicest seasons of the year: spring and fall.

This. If Houston had nice seasons like Spring & Fall, this city would be lit.

[Snapper_head]

Yes! Houston’s cool half of the year is very underrated. It’s absolutely beautiful down here during most of the cooler months. Or at least it is on the north side of town as we touch the Texas Piney Woods ecosystem. A majority of our sub-tropical temperate forest is evergreen: the Yaupon Holly, the Live Oaks, the Loblolly Pines, the Magnolias, etc. So when most of the United States is barren, we always have lots of greenery. Our growing season is typically 300 days a year. So that means only a couple months with no leaves on the Elms, Sweet Gums, and so on. Our autumn typically happens in December, even though it’s usually a brief and limited changing of the colors.

We also get something like 50% of the migratory birds in North America passing through the Houston area.

Houston has 4 seasons, but summer is about 6 months long and the other 3 seasons are each about 2 months long.

Houston’s cool season is a well-kept secret. While the crowds are flocking to Florida and the Caribbean, we have a treasure right here, all to ourselves.

[snackdog]

The weather is so horrific most of the time that people completely overlook the couple months of mild and humid weather around the holidays.

[resonator]

I grew up in Houston. Retired in San Antonio. Good evening breezes most days in San Antonio and little risk of hurricane. Less violent and icy weather than Dallas too.

[lhafer]

Originally Posted by resonator

I grew up in Houston. Retired in San Antonio. Good evening breezes most days in San Antonio and little risk of hurricane. Less violent and icy weather than Dallas too.

Love San Antonio’s weather and city!

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

However, it does seem to me that very few seem to hold Houston's climate in high regard despite the warm winter temperatures.Houston has comparable winter average (although not extreme) temperatures to Phoenix, and is warmer on average than places such as Jacksonville, Florida.

So, do you think Houston's climate is underrated?

I'd say that a lot of the perception stems from how maladapted Houston's culture and design are to the climate and landscape. That truly exacerbates any challenges that come with city's natural setting, topless of negating any enjoyment. Whether it's constant sprawl that increases flooding through wiping out native land, or rigid Oil and Gas corporate cultures calling for traditional heavy-business suits in the middle of July. In a city full of 9-5 worker-bees, there's just no time to pick up on the nuances of the landscape.

Contrast that with Arizona and Florida cities, with infrastructure built specifically with the enjoyment of the setting at hand. And a population full of retirees, jet sets, and other demographics happy to enjoy the land, as well as life in general. The locals of those cities are bound to have more pleasant attitudes towards their setting.

[LocalPlanner]

I think a lot of perception comes from the fact that summer is expected to be "outdoor recreation" season in much of the nation - but in Texas and a wide belt across the South, it's the indoor season, at least since the advent of widespread A/C. So people's expectations are upset when they move here - their annual recreation schedule doesn't work any more.

[kemahkami]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

We are lacking the two nicest seasons of the year: spring and fall.

Originally Posted by AcresHomes44

This. If Houston had nice seasons like Spring & Fall, this city would be lit.

On the contrary, those seasons are very nice in Houston and the coastal South, much nicer than the rest of the country outside of portions of the Desert Southwest. Very solid, stable warmth, not much (if any) worry about deep cold snaps or severe thunderstorms/tornadoes to ruin things.