WHAT MAKES
...AND THEN THERE WAS SUN
TEXAS “TEXAS”? The Beauty of Texas Weather by Ann Marie Kennon • annmarie@lhtxdigest.com
When most non-Texans think of Texas
weather, they likely imagine the dry, hot, and sunny climate they see in Western movies. That's not entirely off, if you are actually in the western part of the state; e.g., El Paso is the fifth least humid city in the nation and records more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
Elsewhere, the Panhandle gets plenty of snow, and the eastern half of the state gets plenty of humidity and rain. Plus, Port Arthur gets more rain than Seattle. Still, many are the jokes that Texas has four seasons... December, January, February, and Summer. Officially, Texas has mild to cold winters and hot and humid summers. Many do complain about the hot summers but, lucky for us, there is no period of terrible weather.
SUNNY DAYS Thankfully, Texas' typical weather is also partially responsible for our healthy farming and ranching economy, tourism, and a number of other great reasons to live here. Texans themselves are known to be friendly, perhaps because we are less likely to be grouchy when we're not cold or indoors most of the year. When considering all the great things about and to do in Texas, most of them rely on the consistency of our mild-to-hot weather. Our state is home to beaches, mountain ranges, rodeos, miles of wildflowers, city skylines, rich cultural lifestyles, and outdoor greats like Enchanted Rock and San Antonio's River Walk, none of which would be so popular if visitors were buffeted by rain or cold winds.
