People who've lived in both Dallas/Austin, Which city FEELS warmer in the summer?
Posted by TrumpsNostrils@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 142 comments
so apparently austin tends to be a bit less warm in the summer. but due to the humidity, it feels warmer than what it is. does it make it feel warmer than dallas because of the humidity?
Rakebleed@reddit
They both suck big time in the summer. There is no discernible difference. But Austin has swimming holes and Barton Springs. Dallas has… tunnels?
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
Have you actually been to Barton Springs? Good luck finding a spot where a patchouli doused person who hasn't bathed in a week won't be rubbing against you.
Unpetits@reddit
It is not that bad 😂 this is pure drama.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
It was all part of the experience. They did drum circles too.
Irish_queen1017@reddit
Have you been recently? It’s mostly sorority girls and wanna be influencer hipsters now.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
No, I haven't been recently. I'm getting a reality check that it was 20 years ago when I lived there. I've only been back a few times. Doesn't feel that long ago. There were plenty of hipster wannabes, I guess that will never change.
Snobolski@reddit
LOL as if you could afford a trip to Austin.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
Lol? It's like one tank of gas. I used to live across the street from Zilker Park. It was mostly weird and overrated. I've heard Austin's not so weird anymore, just overrated. A better watering hole in Central Texas is tubing in the Comal River.
woodentigerx@reddit
Dallas has pool parties
Onionringlets3@reddit
Isn't BS full of e coli?
datdouche@reddit
Well, yeah, it’s BS…
Onionringlets3@reddit
I see what you did there 👀
Snobolski@reddit
Yep, there's like several hundred deaths there every summer. You should probably not go.
earthworm_fan@reddit
We have large reservoirs
Freejak33@reddit
80 deg pools
ScarHand69@reddit
80° is warm to you? Are you from the northeast? Most people here would consider that cold for a pool temp in the summer.
90°+ temps are not uncommon pool temps down here come mid/late summer.
tbear87@reddit
90+ degree pool temps are breeding grounds for bacteria. That's like bath water and pretty nasty tbh. A casual pool is probably mid to low 80s to be considered "cool" and a competitive pool for working out should def be right around 80.
SupernovaTraveller@reddit
May I introduce you to pool chemicals
tbear87@reddit
You do realize pool chemicals have to be maintained and are not just some magic liquid out of a Disney movie, right? I've worked in pools for over a decade. Warm water absolutely encourages the growth of bacteria and algae, even in a treated pool. If the pool is not on top of it for even a couple days, things may look fine but they are not necessarily okay to swim in. Ratio of chemicals is critical, and as they encounter bacteria the chemicals need to be renewed.
Downvote away, but the fact is warmer water demands more chemicals to offset more bacteria, meaning, if you are expecting your temps to be mid 80s, and then they creep up to the 90s but you don't have the pool guy coming by more often or maintain it yourself, you very likely are swimming in e-coli.
https://blog.orendatech.com/why-swimming-pool-temperature-matters
Aside from chemical safety, a pool with a temperature above 90 can lead to heat stroke and dehydration if someone is in it for too long, especially if it is in the sun. Hot tubs are at around 100, so pools at 90 are quite warm.
ScarHand69@reddit
It’s really not that hard. Chlorine and PH. There’s CYA and some other stuff but as long as it’s properly maintained it’s not that hard.
I maintain my own pool. Have been for years. Pool maintenance companies want people to believe it’s hard or complicated, but it’s not. In the summer I’m checking the levels daily or every few days. Most pool companies aren’t checking that often and if they are then the customer is paying a ton of $$$ for that.
Huge ass pools in hotels or resorts or gyms? Yeah I can see those needing a little more maintenance…but the vast majority of backyard pools are easily maintained.
Snobolski@reddit
And summer sun / heat.
ScarHand69@reddit
I’m didn’t downvote you…but yeah that’s what chlorine is for.
dogpaddle@reddit
Or salt! My ex was paranoid with our dog so it’s what we used. I didn’t even know it was an option
ScarHand69@reddit
The salt is converted to chlorine via electrolysis. It’s still chlorine doing the disinfecting.
Saltwater pools are less irritating on the skin & eyes than chlorine pools depending upon who you ask….but like I said they still have chlorine in them. Is just being converted from the salt in the pool vs. added at regular intervals.
tbear87@reddit
Chlorine needs to be maintained properly, though. It's not a magic bullet. See my other comment but higher temps means it needs more chlorine. So, warmer water at places like hotels or private pools are far and away more likely to be chemically out of balance.
Freejak33@reddit
80 degrees is gross
Rakebleed@reddit
Are better than concrete radiating 150 deg
Freejak33@reddit
not much, but if you can find a older made, deep, like 10-12 ft pool, in the shade its a bit cooler, just not many around anymore
this_aint_no_hobby@reddit
You just described my mother in laws pool. It’s a godsend in the summer
toots_mansfield@reddit
I will say, having lived in both cities, I feel like the biggest difference is that Austin cools down more at night so at least there is some semblance of relief.
SmokedNoodz@reddit
Barton Springs looks a bit too crowded for me
https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/1ikxsho/barton_springs_in_february/
BranSolo7460@reddit
The swimming holes that haven't been shut down due to all the transplants being destructive a-holes, are drying up.
Ok_Championship_385@reddit
Bro the entire state is a heated box of hellscape. 3 hours north or south isn’t gonna make a difference. If you want real fun, hit up Houston in the summer.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
The only place that's even swampier than Dallas. Gross 😭😂
artificialevil@reddit
New Orleans has entered the chat.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
Yeah I heard about the humidity there, I meant within Texas. I was talking to a guy who moved here after Katrina, and he'd have to repaint the walls of his house every year, because the walls stayed so damp.
truth-4-sale@reddit
No
-Never-Enough-@reddit
Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, and Lake Livingston were extremely popular during the summer in Houston when I visited. The many beaches along Galveston Bay and of course the Gulf are in high demand every year.
deadlymugwort@reddit
lived in Houston for 17 years. once had a friend's dad describe it as "like breathing soup"
No_Presentation_1533@reddit
I don't like your version of fun haha
Ok_Championship_385@reddit
lol fair point
BanTrumpkins24@reddit
Austin
BaddaAzzza@reddit
Right on. Austin is hot as fuck and no wind. Dallas usually has a breeze and is less humid. Austin sucks balls
LoudNoises89@reddit
The further south you go it gets warmer. So in the Summer Dallas is usually in the 100s and Austin is hell.
Dom0420@reddit
Austin
chromatikat@reddit
I feel like Dallas is noticeably warmer than Austin. Probably due to being a concrete jungle.
TrumpsNostrils@reddit (OP)
have you lived in both for a considerable time?
chromatikat@reddit
Yes, lived in both for years.
FutureNostalgia787@reddit
I currently live in Austin but visit Dallas often for family and grew up there. I’m in the minority here, but I think Austin’s summers are way more difficult to go through.
The humidity is insane, and every time I check the weather back up in Dallas, it’s always a few degrees cooler (still very hot though).
truth-4-sale@reddit
A friend who lives in the Galveston Bay area has Heat Indexes usually higher than here in the DFW area in the summer. I simply do not know how the pioneer families survived the summers in Texas before AC.
notrachelgreen@reddit
I agree, Austin is much worse to me. It feels like the sun is about 10 feet away from your skin.
FutureNostalgia787@reddit
Totally. I think the urban heat island effect is much more noticeable here. Austin is a major city, but it’s very small and compact compared to the DFW area.
playballer@reddit
My experience is opposite. I think it has a lot to do with where you’re from and what you’re used to. I grew up in Houston so humidity is something I can adapt to easily even though I’m used to Dallas now When I lived in and go to Austin and not even notice it. Been in Dallas almost 20 years now and still chuckle when people here complain about humidity.
truth-4-sale@reddit
The heat + humidity I felt in Austin, moving into the college dorm at the begining of the Fall Semester, and moving out of the dorm at the end of the Spring Semester, is a more miserable heat than I have ever felt in Dallas.
SameSadMan@reddit
Anyone who claims there's a noticeable difference is full of S. They're both hot, humidity is not significantly different. If one happens to have a rainy month then of course it will be cooler during that time.
papertowelroll17@reddit
Agree with you in peak summer, but there is a noticeable difference at other points. Dallas has a nicer early fall and late spring; Austin has a noticably milder winter. They are different climates but with similar summers.
Freejak33@reddit
austin tends to get a bit hotter and dryer, dallas has some rain in june and is a bit more humid.
both are hot so its not a huge difference tbh
papertowelroll17@reddit
Austin has more average rainfall in June technically
Then_Inside6809@reddit
Literally wrong.
Comprehensive_Hand_8@reddit
They’re the same. You don’t want to be outside in either. The difference to me is overall climate is Austin’s milder winter that gives you more overall pleasant days.
papertowelroll17@reddit
I think Dallas does get some pleasant days in spring and fall when it is still summer in Austin. Though as someone who hates cold I would rather have Austin's milder winter.
boobootheclown88@reddit
Summers are pretty comparable imo in terms of heat/humidity. The biggest difference to me is that in Dallas the daily high starts to cool down in October down to at least the 80’s, sometimes the 70’s. I went to school in Austin, and most years it felt like we were still in summer-mode until almost Thanksgiving
papertowelroll17@reddit
Yea summer is shorter by 2-4 weeks in Dallas because October and May are cooler. Peak summer heat index is slightly higher in Dallas but the difference is negligible.
IAmSoUncomfortable@reddit
To me Austin feels worse in the summer but part of that is because people spend more time outside in the summer there. I feel like historically Austin was also much more humid but Dallas is pretty humid nowadays.
BrotherMouzone2@reddit
Agreed.
People say Dallas isn't humid....compared to New Orleans, Miami or Houston, it's not...but compared to most other places, it is quite sticky.
Places in the midwest and northeast can get very humid on random days, but they don't have the persistent May to October, all day everyday, kind of summer. The relative humidity won't be as high in Dallas but the dewpoints are often around 65 to 70...which is pretty dang high when the air temp is 90 to 100 F
AdOpposite6411@reddit
All of Texas is like a big armpit. This whole place is a sauna no matter where you go. Even your pool turn against you and gets way to warm.
Relative_Specific217@reddit
West Texas and the panhandle aren’t humid (midland, Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo) so I don’t mind the summers out there near as much as here. But it’s ugly as heck and dusty so there is a tradeoff haha
AdOpposite6411@reddit
I love east texas. It’s so beautiful to me. But man, that humidity don’t play. And I agree with you, west tx is not the prettiest sight.
glassfeathers@reddit
Dallas is an oven in the summer due to all the concrete. Just absorbs and radiates heat all day.
The-TruestRepairman@reddit
Austin for 21 years, Dallas for 17.
No question, Austin summers feel hotter, Dallas Winters are without question colder.
NZP1322@reddit
Austin summers will slap you in the face when you go outside. You don’t need gills to live there (looking at you, Houston) but it’s discernibly more humid than Dallas. The curl in my hair was the only part of my body happy about living there.
Express-Affect-2516@reddit
At least Austin has water.
mag_safe@reddit
Have you seen Lake Travis???
Express-Affect-2516@reddit
Yes?
mag_safe@reddit
There is no water.
Express-Affect-2516@reddit
You think there is no water in Lake Travis?
mag_safe@reddit
Objectively is there some water? Sure.
Is it enough? No.
Is there more in Lake Lewisville? Tawakoni? White Rock? Eagle Mountain? Grapevine? Ray Hubbard? Yes.
Lake Travis has been low for a while, far below where it should be.
Snobolski@reddit
Tawakoni is a warm turbid mud bath. Yuck.
mag_safe@reddit
It is but Dallas just doesn’t have the same lake level issues that central Texas has.
I’ve sailed on both Lewisville, Hubbard, and Travis. I ran aground once in Lewisville on a larger boat. But a 24ft boat has a potential far more on Travis.
Dallas has constant level lakes.
Snobolski@reddit
Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake LBJ are constant level. Inks Lake too.
Lewisville is not a constant level lake, btw.
mag_safe@reddit
It’s more constant (and I guess I should have been clear, in my time of visiting routinely to our lakes Lewisville has flooded once pretty badly but also been low only a couple of times. I’d consider that “near constant”… my mistake on not being clear after googling)… because of the way it’s built — it was built for flood control and water supply as well as recreation. Travis is being used for water supply and power and maintained horribly by LCRA while Lewisville is maintained by the corps of engineers.
Dallas receives more consistent rainfall than central Texas which has been drier in recent history.
Basically the argument is that Dallas doesn’t have water — the lake levels prove that it’s overall fine and it’s central that’s suffering.
wunderkraft@reddit
Austin
vetheros37@reddit
It's still Dallas. DFW's pollution put it as one of the hottest areas in the country behind Phoenix AZ.
Plane-Investment-791@reddit
There’s more shade in central / east Austin. It’s greener. It feels cooler.
bemvee@reddit
Probably Dallas due to the amount of concrete.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
This shouldn't be downvoted. Read about urban heat island effect, people 🙄
bemvee@reddit
lol, thanks! It’s not like I’m saying Austin has none, but Dallas has significantly more thanks to the hellscape that is our highway system.
ChillinginTX@reddit
Lived a long time in both. Though it’s been a while, I don’t remember a real difference in the summers. Some years Dallas would get a little warmer and Austin seemed slightly more humid. Solid Texas summer experience in either.
caphair@reddit
Lived in Austin for several years, here the rest of my life. The thing about Austin is you do more outside, regardless of the heat, so be cognizant of that. As a side note, the dress in Austin is more casual to be able to acclimate to the heat.
Unpetits@reddit
That’s actually pretty important. Dallas is very business casual even in the hottest weather. It’s just going from one a/c environment to the next in Dallas. Austin at least feels more comfortable to go casual and get outside regardless.
bright1111@reddit
Oh yes. When I was down there in college 20 years ago it was definitely flip flop sandals everywhere you go. Not sure about now, I have been back there twice in ten years.
strog91@reddit
I’m not sure that’s true. Dallas might have higher daily highs, but I’m pretty sure the daily average is gonna be higher in Austin. And the “feels like” is much higher in Austin because of humidity.
Snobolski@reddit
This. Frying pan gets hotter in Dallas, frying pan stays hot longer in Austin.
notadamnprincess@reddit
I’ve lived in both for 20 years each (still switch between the two frequently), and they’re pretty comparable in summer. Dallas definitely gets more of a winter though.
Old-Alternative7910@reddit
It rarely gets below freezing during Austin winters. Dallas is much cooler in a good way. Who really wants 80 degree days in November.
Snobolski@reddit
me me me!
TrumpsNostrils@reddit (OP)
yeah, i saw that, so austin wins there. also austin apparently gets more rain but it is mostly showers. while dallas gets les overal rainy days but more thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes.
i was just wondering on the heat, if there is a noticeable difference or if it is a tie.
Unpetits@reddit
It’s probably a tie. We are both in a similar area vertically. If you go more to the west you get arid, dry heat. If you go farther to the east by the coast (Houston & Galveston) you’re gonna get swamp ass heat. Anywhere in the state is capable of reaching over 100 degrees for weeks on end during the summer.
Elguapo69@reddit
Yeah Austin doesn’t get more rain. At least lately. I go down there often and it’s sad to see the lake levels down there.
Mav21Fo@reddit
Dallas definitely gets more rain than Austin overall. Source: lived in Dallas 18 yrs, Austin 15 yrs.
Ambient-Jellyfish@reddit
Austin is hotter for sure Iived in Austin for 5 1/2 originally from Dallas & both I would definitely say Austin ☀️
Relative_Specific217@reddit
Whichever is more humid in the summer will feel hotter. “Air your can wear” is the worst lol
OldMcMittens@reddit
I have lived in both and Austin is way worse in my opinion. The humidity makes it a thousand times worse. Dallas caters a lot to the fact that it’s too hot to be outdoors so Dallas offers a lot more indoor facilities for activities and hobbies that are usually outdoors. Also, any place you go in Dallas does have a/c blasting to the point that I needed to bring a light jacket with me to places I won’t be actively moving. In Austin, it’s as if they try to embrace it and it’s actually extremely harmful.
JamBonesIII@reddit
Def Austin. That humidity sucks ass.
Unrelated but the cedar pollen is also soooo bad in the summer.
halfuser10@reddit
Summers are the same. Austin is warmer and more humid year round... but it rains less. Dumbass climate. Austin at least has barton springs, you're fucked in Dallas if you don't have a (shaded) pool.
joeycolorado@reddit
I have family in Dallas
I’d take 100 in Denver for a month over a week of 90 in Dallas
Humidity sucks
Majoranza@reddit
Having lived in both, it’s gotta be Austin for me. The dry heat of Dallas is at least manageable, but the humidity in Austin makes me drenched in sweat even on short walks.
CByall@reddit
Im from Indiana, and it’s WAY more humid. The summer’s here are much easier for me and temperatures wise in Fort Wayne it would never get over 95 hardly but the humidity was so oppressive that it felt a lot hotter than the 5 summers Ive done here.
If you have water you can do anything outside in Dallas for short periods of time. But Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, when I visit in the summers for work seem much more “hot” than back home in Dallas. This is totally just my anecdotal experience but that’s what I think.
Illustrious_Swing645@reddit
Thats funny. I've lived in Fort Wayne, Indy, and Bloomington and I enjoyed summers in Indiana waaaaaaaaay more than I have down here, and I grew up here in DFW. I remember my first June in Ft Wayne and was absolutely shocked that I needed a windbreaker in the evenings. Peak summer in Indy and Bloomington still sucked, but nowhere as bad as down south imo.
CByall@reddit
Maybe it was the work I was doing but I did party rental for my summers at IU, but Bloomington summers had THE worst humidity some days on the levels of Houston in my opinion. But I was in the middle of a field setting up someone’s grad party/ barn wedding tent so definitely was probably that.
But in short I know it’s SUPER hot down here. But with water I’ll go running/ for a walk in it. But honestly am the same way anywhere for the most part.
Irish_queen1017@reddit
As someone who lived in Austin recently. Austin 100%. It’s more humid and typically always 5-10 degrees warmer.
moremorgan_@reddit
I have PTSD from walking the hills on UT's campus to my summer classes in June and July, so I'd like to say Austin is worse. But then again, my phone overheats in the 30 seconds it takes me to walk across my parking lot in downtown Dallas in the summer. Hot is hot. They are both hot. Just make sure you always have access to a pool.
Noco62@reddit
Dallas, no Barton Springs or Deep Eddie's pool.
goldenbeee@reddit
Dallas is much better than Austin because the humidity is lower. Austin is unbearable in summer, just slightly better than Houston. Having lived in Phoenix, I will take dry heat to humid heat.
mixtapecoat@reddit
The game in Texas summertime is to have options indoors. Pools, ice skating, good gyms, et cetera.
Both feel awful in the summer. Austin is light on infrastructure since it grew so quickly, unless you like overpriced mediocre Tex mex and college dive bars you won’t enjoy 80% of the city’s draw. Since Dallas is more establishes there’s a lot more to do, eat, and experience. You can still find Tex Mex & dive bars in Dallas but you’ll find better doctors, hospitals, museums, restaurants, libraries, fitness options, flights, et cetera.
Total_Possession_950@reddit
Dallas is fantastic in the summer! Long days at the pool. What sucks is the winters in Dallas, like these 20 something degree nights we have coming up. I will take 100 over 50 any day! I hate cold!!! I love summer!!! I just wish it was at least 80 here every day in the winter!
Total_Possession_950@reddit
Austin feels warmer. I haven’t lived there but have spent a lot of time there. DFW native.
Top_Issue4421@reddit
I’ve lived in both areas. I lived in Dallas for four years and Austin for 8. I would say that Dallas is hotter than Austin for different reasons. Austin has more trees and gets more of a breeze while Dallas has more concrete strip malls and tons of asphalt parking lots. Both cities are hot, but Dallas just feels hotter.
painenthusiast44@reddit
Dallas 100 percent ,more humidity less wind so it’s just humid stale air
JoeyFreshwater92@reddit
It doesn’t matter
hedcannon@reddit
Summer are hotter in Austin and the humidity is just a bit higher. Winters are colder in Dallas.
SimpleVegetable5715@reddit
Dallas feels warmer because of the humidity. Austin has a dry breeze in the summer, even though the average temperature is slightly higher. Your sweat actually works there sometimes.
coolrodion89@reddit
I only lived in Austin for a year, summer felt exactly same as here
lan3yboggs99@reddit
I moved from Dallas to Austin to go to college in the 2010s and I remember feeling SMOTHERED in the Austin humidity at first. Also, I feel like you tend to be outdoors more in Austin vs Dallas which is very indoorsy city.
TexasBaconMan@reddit
I always felt Austin was more humid/sticky, but I haven't lived there in 30 years
No_Safety_6803@reddit
The answer is Wichita Falls! But Dallas gets rain more often than Austin & rarely has watering restrictions, so it generally feels greener (depending on what part of town you’re in) otherwise they are about the same.
Wizzmer@reddit
It comes down to humidity. Dallas has more.
Commercial-Rush755@reddit
They’re both concrete jungles and both get very warm. No difference imo.
tbear87@reddit
Dallas to me is worse, but I haven't lived there as long. I've actually found the summers here to be more humid than down there, which could just be coincidental. I think it feels hotter due to the larger metro area and far less vegetation trapping heat. Both are miserable and I can't wait to go back north where they have seasons.
sumacbabe@reddit
I lived in Austin for several years and was always surprised by how much hotter it felt in the summer. It’s way more humid than it is here. A lot more overcast in the winters/fall as well. I prefer the weather in Dallas (even though both suck) but the scenery in Austin.
MsMo999@reddit
It’s lil hotter in Austin but more fun places to take a cool dip so I don’t notice as much.
FreeElleGee@reddit
We have a house in Austin and apartment in Dallas. Austin feels hotter.
PieCuresAll@reddit
Austin and it’s not close. Way more humid there. Also 5-7 degrees hotter
playballer@reddit
Dallas has this weather thing, the “cap” thing that holds in high pressure air in a way that makes it feel like a damn oven.
Humidity is annoying but you get used to it. I grew up in Houston, I like being away from the humidity but I think I’d rather have it than the high pressure thing. Living in all three cities, Austin was the best option. Less humid than Houston but not an oven, plus easy access to lakes for the hottest part of summer. The mountain cedar was awful there though.
FaithlessnessOne9390@reddit
Humidity in Austin, that’s cute.
TilTheDaybreak@reddit
I prefer Austin. It’s a bit drier so it doesn’t feel quite as oppressive as Dallas summer.
Both are pretty terrible.
IAmSoUncomfortable@reddit
Austin is not drier.
dionisfake@reddit
Personally I’d pick Austin- I’ve lived in DFW, Midland, and Austin/San Antonio in the summer and Austin was the best. The humidity freaking kill’s you but like other comments said there’s a lot more water activities to do that help. Anytime it was unbearably hot I’d take my dog to a lake or river and it always was fun
Holls867@reddit
Probably not enough of a difference to really matter. It’s TX, it’s gonna be damn hot in the summer. Maybe look at avg days above 100, for each?
Get a house w shade, a good A/c and pool, if you can make it happen. Overall stay Hydrated!
Winter, who knows lol sometimes it’s mild and sometimes it’s just cold ish all season. We’re lucky to get snow. Austin probably gets less snow.
Are you allergic to mountain cedar? That’s more of an issue than anything in the winter, December to February-ish.
EastTXJosh@reddit
I've spent a considerable amount of time in both cities (lived in Dallas for 15 years, traveled to Austin many, many times). Both cities are pretty misreable, but the hottest I've been was an outdoor wedding in July in Austin (I know, who would plan such a thing?), so I give the nod to Austin.
I've lived in Texas my entire life and experienced a lot of hot summers. It's not really comfortable anywhere in the state from mid-June to October, but outside the city, you get a little relief at night.
AEW_SuperFan@reddit
Austin actually bills itself as a "walking" city so Austin.
Rave-at-home@reddit
Both are scorching hot. Both have air pollution. Both leave your skin having a small layer of dirt after a short walk.