Tyler and the Surrounding Area - Weather and Critters, etc. (Longview: appointed, real estate)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband and I are in our 50’s, no kids, and considering relocating to the East Texas area down the road. Using Zillow, GoogleMaps and other sites, we have honed in on that part of Texas because of the beautiful scenery and cost of housing. The key for us is some space and pretty scenery outside our front door, so we would be looking for at least a 1-acre parcel with grassy areas and trees – the larger the better.
We want to be near a major metro area like DFW (within 60 – 90 minutes drive or so), but want the lower cost, slower pace and quiet, peaceful life you can find by moving to a less populated area. I think we may be country-folk at heart or at least, are drawn to that lifestyle. Tyler (and the surrounding smaller cities/areas) seems like a good candidate for what we are looking for, and I have a few questions about the area:
(1) Does it snow and if so, how many days per year on average do you get snow?
(2) What types of critters you are most likely to encounter? For example, mosquitoes, ticks, snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc.
(3) I know East Texas is not “Hill Country” but are there any hill-ier cities, areas or sections with a bit of topography that are not completely flat?
We plan to do our first scouting trip this January. If we like it, we also plan to come back in the summertime to see how we handle the hot/humid temps.
Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
My husband and I are in our 50’s, no kids, and considering relocating to the East Texas area down the road. Using Zillow, GoogleMaps and other sites, we have honed in on that part of Texas because of the beautiful scenery and cost of housing. The key for us is some space and pretty scenery outside our front door, so we would be looking for at least a 1-acre parcel with grassy areas and trees – the larger the better.
We want to be near a major metro area like DFW (within 60 – 90 minutes drive or so), but want the lower cost, slower pace and quiet, peaceful life you can find by moving to a less populated area. I think we may be country-folk at heart or at least, are drawn to that lifestyle. Tyler (and the surrounding smaller cities/areas) seems like a good candidate for what we are looking for, and I have a few questions about the area:
(1) Does it snow and if so, how many days per year on average do you get snow?
(2) What types of critters you are most likely to encounter? For example, mosquitoes, ticks, snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc.
(3) I know East Texas is not “Hill Country” but are there any hill-ier cities, areas or sections with a bit of topography that are not completely flat?
We plan to do our first scouting trip this January. If we like it, we also plan to come back in the summertime to see how we handle the hot/humid temps.
Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
It's sorta late, for me. lol Just curious, where are you moving from? I may know better, how to answer or comment.
First, January would be a most unusual time for someone to visit. If you were to stay a week, that week could be 60 to 40 and clear for 4 or 7 days in a row, or could be raining maybe icy, not real likely and 40 - 20. Weather is a lifetime (55 year) hobby of mine It can very greatly like it does in most, I said most, of the U.S. in the winter. The hardwood trees will be bare of leaves, the evergreen and or pines will be what you see.
Now, late March thru early April or the prettiest with azalea, dogwoods, and spring flowers in bloom. This is the time of the Azalea Trails - two trails, about a total of 10-12 miles long. Then, everything gets green after that going into mid May. Nice, if we get all the "average rainfall" and it gets warmer, for us into June, you may think "hot" in June, to ALL of us, lol, HOT in July, August and well into September, sometime,"usually" in mid to later Sept, first "cool" front, not "COLD" front, by almost any standard, fall colors, no not like Maine, or even the Ozarks, but that begins usually in very late October, depends, but by Nov 8th to about Thanksgiving for certian. Then, pretty much pasted by Dec. 1, it can get cold as early as mid Nov. normally just a brief "cool" snap then by up to 70-80 then up and down all the way to Spring.
Last year, not even a threat, of snow. A few people would like a little snow. 4 out of the last 6 years going back to the winter of 2010, each year maybe 4 - 6 inches, at most 2 ACCUMULATING snows. That was unusual, the prior 20 years, 1990 to about 2010 very little snow.
Now,in Tyler, and TYLER proper, in the city limits more or less. Is what I am talking about, when I refer to SNOW. Some people, in Tyler, mostly natives, call it snowing if they see two flakes, lol. So yes , Tyler folks, we have had many times, over the last 25 years, where it snowed for an hour accumulated on cars, etc. but was not an official snow ACCUMULATION.
Now, YOU are familiar with snowfalls, it can snow 4 inches, or whatever, and 15-20 miles away, get very little snow. So when someone points out it snowed 77 inches,lol, in such and such a town, Gladewater, Longview, Jacksonville, in 2011, yes sure enough, that could or is likely possible or correct.
1) For last 25 years, maybe one or two days a year, snow on the ground, not even falling that much, well maybe average 3 or 4 days, when one year its stays on the ground 2 weeks, but like last year nothing on average.
2)Where you are desiring, out in the country, more or less, yes all the bugs you mentioned are likely/possible, as you can see in some of the discussion in the Tyler sub-forum. I will let others go in more details about all the bugs, spiders.
3)Most of the Tyler area is not completely flat, as in large areas of West Texas and other parts of the country. To the South of Tyler on highway 69 South is even a scenic "pull over" call Love's Lookout, just before you get to Jacksonville, now this is not toward DFW. But just a few miles West of Tyler near Chandler are a couple of hills, this is more toward DFW. But north of Tyler toward Lindale, east and west of there, are a more rolling hills. There are three or four areas inside the city limits of Tyler, but you are needing outside. Now farther Northeast of Tyler, toward Gilmer, and due North of Longview, is a tiny area called East Mountain, yep, because it's the closest "thing" to a mountain around here, just saw it today, it is not even as hilly as the Hill Country, but is very noticeable. But, again this is way too far from DFW, 2 plus hours.
Well, others should or could give their take on this. Especially the spiders and bugs. But if there is any other thing specifically, email me directly, if you like. I would be glad to help. Tyler information is a lifelong hobby of mine too. Was once a real estate broker here, among other things, not any more, don't even get or expect referrals, lol. It's totally free, or my information and $6 - $10 can you coffee at Starbucks, I'm told, I don't drink. lol. Good luck to you.
Thank you so much for your reply, Mark. This is very helpful!
We would be coming from Arizona and we wanted to come in January during one of the winter months (and if things go well, we'd come back in July/August during one of the summer months). We would rather come when the weather is not so ideal so we could get, hopefully, a more realistic idea of what the landscape and temps are like during this time. I know the weather can vary quite a bit from week to week, but hopefully we can at least get some sense.
My husband and I are in our 50’s, no kids, and considering relocating to the East Texas area down the road. Using Zillow, GoogleMaps and other sites, we have honed in on that part of Texas because of the beautiful scenery and cost of housing. The key for us is some space and pretty scenery outside our front door, so we would be looking for at least a 1-acre parcel with grassy areas and trees – the larger the better.
We want to be near a major metro area like DFW (within 60 – 90 minutes drive or so), but want the lower cost, slower pace and quiet, peaceful life you can find by moving to a less populated area. I think we may be country-folk at heart or at least, are drawn to that lifestyle. Tyler (and the surrounding smaller cities/areas) seems like a good candidate for what we are looking for, and I have a few questions about the area:
(1) Does it snow and if so, how many days per year on average do you get snow?
(2) What types of critters you are most likely to encounter? For example, mosquitoes, ticks, snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc.
(3) I know East Texas is not “Hill Country” but are there any hill-ier cities, areas or sections with a bit of topography that are not completely flat?
We plan to do our first scouting trip this January. If we like it, we also plan to come back in the summertime to see how we handle the hot/humid temps.
Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
Yay, and welcome to Texas!
My husband and I are also in our fifties - kids but none living at home anymore. He's an East Texas native and I've lived in East Texas for about 25 years.
To answer your questions:
If you live on the west side of Tyler or it's bedroom communities (Lindale, Chandler, Brownsboro, Van - or a bit further west to Athens or Canton or any number of smaller towns between those and Tyler) you will be about an hour and a half or a bit less to DFW. We live in Chandler and love being close but not to close to DFW and within a ten minute drive to Tyler.
1. We get a smattering of snow each year - generally all combined under 4 or 5 inches. About once a decade we will get a "big" snow. Ice storms come along once or twice a year. Generally you can expect one or two "cold snaps" with highs in the low 20s and lows in the teens during the winter but overall the winters are mild, a bit gray, a bit frosty, but nothing arduous. I LOVE east Texas winters - they are cold enough to pull out the scarves and boots, and to enjoy a firepit outside or hot tub or a fire in the fireplace inside but they are not bitter at all. It gets nippy in the evenings in November (though it's usually just sweater weather) and the coldest month is probably January. We can get a cold snap even up into March, but usually we're getting some spring weather - just not consistently spring - in February.
2. I rarely see a scorpion - maybe one or two the entire time I've lived in Texas. We used to live out in the country and I occasionally saw snakes (I have only seen one poisonous one close up in 25 years). Unfortunately, two types of poisonous spiders are pretty common here - Black widows and brown recluses. I was actually bitten by a brown recluse once on my calf - it was on the underside of an office chair and when I tucked my leg under the chair it bit me. It really did swell up a lot, get all infected, etc and I ended up having to go on a round of antibiotics and get it lanced - so yes, it's a pretty big deal - but I don't have a scar from it. I check my shoes, gloves, boots, etc since then but that's the only time I've actually had a close encounter with a brown recluse - but it wasn't fun. I've found several black widows over the years - probably at least one per year in fact. Apparently they're not aggressive but I kill then anyway. I've found them all in the garage or outside around a storage building.
We've never had any sort of issue with ticks or fleas - and we have two big dogs.
We have had fireants but they're pretty easy to get rid of with the right pesticide.
We live across from a creek and we used to have a problem with mosquitos but we spray our yard regularly now and I haven't seen one in two years!
Snakes - since we moved to this area across from the creek, I've seen one large snake in the road (he took off before I could get close enough to see what he was) and I've found several small, harmless grass snakes in my yard. I personally think they're great and I leave them alone.
No issues with any bugs in the house. In fact, I rarely even see a harmless spider in the house and when I do, they are always very small. Spiders give me the heebie jeebies.
3. The Chandler/Athens/Henderson County area to the west of Tyler is VERY hilly in some places. Same with much of the Bullard/Flint area south of Tyler, all the way to Jacksonville and Palestine. I think those areas are some of the prettiest in East Texas. What East Texas lacks in hills and mountains, it makes up for in rivers, lakes, and that beautiful big Texas sky. The Tyler area has many beautiful lakes and we are not all that far from Caddo Lake which is the oldest natural lake in Texas and is hauntingly beautiful, with lots of cyprus trees and Spanish moss.
Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions! I'd be happy to help. Like Mark, I worked in real estate in the Tyler area for years and so I'm also pretty familiar with the market (still have lots of friends in the business and I like to keep up with it even though I no longer work in the industry).
My husband and I are in our 50’s, no kids, and considering relocating to the East Texas area down the road. Using Zillow, GoogleMaps and other sites, we have honed in on that part of Texas because of the beautiful scenery and cost of housing. The key for us is some space and pretty scenery outside our front door, so we would be looking for at least a 1-acre parcel with grassy areas and trees – the larger the better.
We want to be near a major metro area like DFW (within 60 – 90 minutes drive or so), but want the lower cost, slower pace and quiet, peaceful life you can find by moving to a less populated area. I think we may be country-folk at heart or at least, are drawn to that lifestyle. Tyler (and the surrounding smaller cities/areas) seems like a good candidate for what we are looking for, and I have a few questions about the area:
(1) Does it snow and if so, how many days per year on average do you get snow? (2) What types of critters you are most likely to encounter? For example, mosquitoes, ticks, snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc.
(3) I know East Texas is not “Hill Country” but are there any hill-ier cities, areas or sections with a bit of topography that are not completely flat?
We plan to do our first scouting trip this January. If we like it, we also plan to come back in the summertime to see how we handle the hot/humid temps.
Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
I'll add to the critter list. Last Saturday I saw my first snake of the year. Living on an acre in a less populated area, you'll probably encounter more than someone living in a subdivision. We do have periods of drought, and that's probably what brought one up to my patio a couple of years ago. He crawled up the side of a large planter and wound himself up in a large leafed potted plant . I suspect he was looking for shade/water.
The coyotes are out there too, but you may not see one unless you're a very early riser and like to drink your coffee outside. They can be a problem with cats that are allowed outside. I saw one the other morning. He was walking along the perimeter of my flower bed, but he skedaddled when I turned on the security lights.
Armadillos will tear up your yard looking for grubs. We've caught opossums in a sweet heart trap while trying to get the darn armadillos.
I actually had a skunk crawl into my dryer vent hose, but I think that was a rare occurrence.
Wasps are a constant battle when it gets really hot.
You didn't ask about it, but I'll add that there is a period in the spring when yellow pollen covers everything. For people with allergies it's a pretty big deal. For me it's just a nuisance.
We moved back to Tyler now for six years. The first winter we had a Very Rare ice storm and snow. People were out in the streets taking pictures of their homes! If you love snow, like I do, you'll be disappointed.
If you want the Real Deal on the weather move here in July. Make sure you have a cell phone to call 911 in case you pass out. The entire month of July is horribly hot with almost no rain. In fact, it rarely rains all summer and yards turn brown. June and August are almost as bad. The winters are wonderful IMO. Months of chilly, sunny weather.
On bugs: we have fire ants. Other than that insects are not bad here but, then, we have an automatic misting system all around our fenced yard. We have moles, too. You squirt paint thinner into the holes and close them up somewhat and gradually the sandy piles that signal a mole disappear. Relatives in Chandler had a lot of scorpions and called an exterminator. I saw one in the kitchen the first fall we arrived but never again after turning on the misting system.
We have lived in Colorado and central Arkansas so consider Tyler to be flat. But if you drive south on Highway 31 to Chandler and keep driving a few miles you will see lovely hills. You won't see them IN Chandler but a couple miles south. Southwest especially. Good luck!
Thanks - SO MUCH - to you Kathryn, PennyLane and Susan! All this information is really so very helpful and I'm grateful for the time you took to reply.
I do have a couple of follow-up questions. Kathryn mentioned that "overall the winters are mild, a bit gray..." - is it often gray skies in the winter? "Often" as in more than 50% of the time? I know my husband wasn't thrilled living in Ohio because it was often gray in the winter and he mentioned it was not unusual to go days without seeing the sun. I don't suspect it's the same in East Texas but if you could elaborate a bit on that, I'd appreciate it.
PennyLane mentioned coyotes. We are dog lovers and coyotes are a problem where we currently live. When we first moved in, the neighbors told us to beware of them because we had a dog and a few had their small-ish dogs killed by coyotes. Is this enough of a problem where you would not want to leave your dog unattended outside if you live on a larger parcel?
Thanks - SO MUCH - to you Kathryn, PennyLane and Susan! All this information is really so very helpful and I'm grateful for the time you took to reply.
I do have a couple of follow-up questions. Kathryn mentioned that "overall the winters are mild, a bit gray..." - is it often gray skies in the winter? "Often" as in more than 50% of the time? I know my husband wasn't thrilled living in Ohio because it was often gray in the winter and he mentioned it was not unusual to go days without seeing the sun. I don't suspect it's the same in East Texas but if you could elaborate a bit on that, I'd appreciate it.
PennyLane mentioned coyotes. We are dog lovers and coyotes are a problem where we currently live. When we first moved in, the neighbors told us to beware of them because we had a dog and a few had their small-ish dogs killed by coyotes. Is this enough of a problem where you would not want to leave your dog unattended outside if you live on a larger parcel?
No, no, no - winters in East Texas are nothing like 50 percent gray. It's just that winters and spring are the wettest months of the year here.
And I would not leave a small dog or a cat outside in a rural area because yes, coyotes can be aggressive toward smaller pets. I haven't had any problem with larger dogs though.
I don't know much about wild animals . But I do believe having lived here on and off for decades that the winters are mostly sunny. In fact, I welcome shady days here. I grow very tired of blinding sunlight week after week all summer. Especially with no rain. I never go anywhere without my sunglasses.
My husband and I are in our 50’s, no kids, and considering relocating to the East Texas area down the road. Using Zillow, GoogleMaps and other sites, we have honed in on that part of Texas because of the beautiful scenery and cost of housing. The key for us is some space and pretty scenery outside our front door, so we would be looking for at least a 1-acre parcel with grassy areas and trees – the larger the better.
We want to be near a major metro area like DFW (within 60 – 90 minutes drive or so), but want the lower cost, slower pace and quiet, peaceful life you can find by moving to a less populated area. I think we may be country-folk at heart or at least, are drawn to that lifestyle. Tyler (and the surrounding smaller cities/areas) seems like a good candidate for what we are looking for, and I have a few questions about the area:
(1) Does it snow and if so, how many days per year on average do you get snow?
(2) What types of critters you are most likely to encounter? For example, mosquitoes, ticks, snakes, scorpions, spiders, etc.
(3) I know East Texas is not “Hill Country” but are there any hill-ier cities, areas or sections with a bit of topography that are not completely flat?
We plan to do our first scouting trip this January. If we like it, we also plan to come back in the summertime to see how we handle the hot/humid temps.
Thanks in advance for any information you can share.
Month Avg. High Low. Rain
January 56.50 35.11 3.57
February 61.57 38.82 3.63
March 69.26 45.88 3.93
April 77.16 54.18 3.82
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. I suspect he was looking for shade/water. 
