dunroving

I'm interested to hear from those of you who live in an area of the US that gets HOT (e.g., 90 degrees plus) for several months over the summer.

Several times while my brother was out here on holiday (5 weeks), he has commented "well, it's better than British rain" whenever a comment was made about the heat. For most of his visit it's been the usual unpleasantly hot, humid summer you get in the Southeast of the US.

I personally prefer to put up with occasional (well, OK, maybe more than "occasional") rain in the UK in exchange for summer days where you can stay out for longer than 10 minutes at a time without sweating buckets.

I (again, personally) think that many Brits have an unrealistic view about sunny days in much of the US. I can't stand the endless weeks of uncomfortable heat, especially because I spend several hours a week riding my bike in it.

Bottom line for me is what's the use of "lovely" sunny days if you have to spend them cooped up inside in the air con?

What about those of you who live in Florida? Arizona? Texas? Do you prefer US summers to UK summers?

evoal2003

You have to compare the whole of the year not just 4 months.

I would say I prefer the summer in the UK, but then again
when I was there I went on holiday in the summer to somewhere
even hotter.

AmerLisa

I was raised in Southern California, and never liked the excessive heat of the summer as I got older. You're right, during the day you spend most of it in air conditioning, unless you have a pool of course. But, when I moved over to the UK and people would ask me where I was from and I told them, they would invariably always comment on me really missing the weather. And, why did you come here, certainly not for the weather. I always told them it was for love and the weather.

robousy

lol, nice thread. I live in Tx now and it is hot hot hot in the summer.

To be honest I love it. I used to hate the rain soooooo bad.

I love being able to chill by the pool and read and not put on anything more than a t-shirt in the evenings.

I think pretty much most of us remember when we lived in the UK and a 'holiday' was considered somewhere sunny where you could sit outside by a pool - well I did anyway. Now thats everyday!

britvic

Unbearable heat and I cant F**king stand it Any thing over 90's just make's me ill, I will never moan againe about English summer's, at least when the sun is out you can enjoy it back home, they do seem to be haveing a lovely summer this year.

Celtic_Angel

that's the way I used to think...I've been in the south for 9 years...at first it was rough...but I've finally acclimatised....yes I'd prefer to spend at least some of the summer enjoying the cool outdoors in Britain..but half the time I call home it's raining

I would be calling my girlfriend..I'd be in because of the heat, her because of the rain..in is in and I always have the pool to go to when the evening cools down ...yes after all these years the novelty of an outdoor pool has never worn down and lets face it the Spring here is gorgeous...and probably twice as long as a British summer...presuming that is Britain is lucky enough to get one...yeah I like rainy days..they're my lazy days..I'd always be on the go when it was sunny...like it was a Brit thing...I had to make the most of a sunny day cos I wasn't sure when I'd see the sun again...of course I soon got exhausted..because it's always sunny *lol*

looking at 12 months I'd definitely prefer to be here...so we have a few unbearable months...better than only a few weeks of sunshine

Dimsie

In SW Oklahoma we've had 90+ temps for weeks on end, and I have not enjoyed it one little bit!

In England one can get outside and really make the most of the warmth when the rain stops - walks on the beach, in the country, or enjoy working in the garden, or picnics and drinks outdoors. Here, from the end of the tornado season :scared: up to October-ish one can't do much but stay in the house or car. When out in the car one must run like mad to the nearest air-conditioned oasis. I've experienced less fresh air this summer than at any time in my life !

As for the rest of the year, the weather here can swing from freezing cold to too damned hot in a matter of 24 hours - very odd. The variety was a novelty, until tornado season kicked in, and that's much too much of a novelty!

Lynne

I agree that you have to look at the whole year and not just part of it. I never thought I would ever say that I hate August. lololol. The last two weeks of July and the whole of August are inside jobs time. The first year it was painful to not be able to sit outside comfortably and enjoy the Summer. But the rest of the year is just great. From September onwards the weather is just great. 75 or more during the day, low humidity. In fact a few years back we were driving around mid-December with the top down on the car and wearing shorts and t-shirts. Winter is usually January and February. At worse it will start mid December and last through part of March but even when it does it is not that cold and we get very little snow. If it does snow we just have to stay home as we don't have any snow ploughs or ways of getting rid of it. The one consolation is little to no snow and if it does get really cold its a dry cold so once in the house you warm up quick. We have had 70 degree weather in March. March through July is just plain wonderful. I love being able to use the hot tub outside 24/365. Downside is tornado season, but you learn to live with that.

What I don't miss is those damp miserable cold days of the UK and the real unpredictable weather. I do however miss those long light Summer days.

AdobePinon

Gotta say, I'm happy with it. But here in northern NM, the summer days are hot (85 - 100), the nights are cool (45 - 55), and the air is dry (5 - 30%). Most people here do not have A/C in their homes. If it was humid here, then I'd have a very different story for you....

Taffyles

I prefer the British Summers and Floridian Winters (when it is absolutely gorgeous here). I miss the marked change of seasons though, and most of all the British Spring...I'm still trying (without success) to grow daffodils here

dbj1000

What a bunch of ******' whingers! Anyone would think you were Brits or something!

Speaking for my whole family, we just love the excessively hot Texas summers. I understand many of the complaints here about having to stay in air-conditioned spaces and not getting enough fresh air, but that's a matter of choice if you ask me.

I've just come in from a 10 mile bike ride with my wife and two 6-year-olds in temperatures around 95deg alternating with little cloud-burst storms, and it was bloody wonderful. We all had a great time riding through the warm rain and then sweating ourselves silly in the blazing sun.

Yesterday we walked through the beautiful Dallas arboretum and had it all to ourselves because it was nearly 100deg. We got to all splash in the fountains and walk the shady paths watching butterflies, dragonflies and even a ribbon-snake and again we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Sure, the first summer was a shock. I used to feel physical panic whenever I walked out into 95deg+ heat, as my body told me that I was in some kind of danger of expiring from the unexpected heat. It only took two summers to get over that, and now I hardly notice the heat until it's over 100.

Don't get me wrong - my favorite weekend activity in the UK was long walks through the damp, cool forests around our home in Surrey, and I miss that more than I can put into words... but you've got to make the most of what you have where you live, and there are plenty of things to (almost) make up for the lack of woods to walk in around here.

Can't beat jumping in the pool with your clothes on to cool off after a long bike ride, like I've just done

(I would talk about the other seasons, but they're so short here in Dallas that we hardly notice them! Last year's two-day white Xmas and the previous year's sudden snowfall on Boxing day were quite a surprise though, and more snow than our kids had ever seen in England!)

Pimpbot

There is something to be said for waking up each morning to a beautiful clear blue sky. Puts a smile on your face instead of the doom and gloom of a British morning.

snowbunny

Unless you grow them in pots ....

chill them as you would tulips and treat as annuals.

paperwhites, and narcissi in the jonquilla and tazetta family might establish. I'm in zone 8a/b where they perennialise *okay*.... but if you want the large cup or trumpet daffs..... annuals just as tulips.

My Diutch fiance is :eek: at the cost of treating bulbs which are $1 apiece as annuals.

Your consolation?

Amaryllis perennialise in the ground..... give all bulbs good drainage, though.
:)

Scott Ogden has a book on Bulbs for the South -- a must-read.

psb182

are you a lifeguard?........or do you get paid for just sitting around a pool all day?

britvic

Well let's be honest, how meny of us here are lucky enough to have our own pool's I agree the summer here might well be alote more fun.