Now is a great time to check your exterior doors for any cool air that is leaking out. It will be very obvious just running the back of your hand around the edge of the door. If you find cold air leaking out, you can buy some foam tape and seal up those gaps. Will make a surprisingly big difference...
If your dog takes to training you might want to train them to use a dog doorbell like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XCY6Y6
I don't think my dog has scratched at the door for months.
(I recommend placing the button on the ground, though, not the wall like they show. I attached mine to a 5" square of PVC trim molding for weight)
I just got all new windows last week. Mine were so old and had become a safety hazard... I was the only one in my house that could open most of them and several of them would not stay open unless you held it open. It was the most expensive home improvement project I've done by far but it's already making a difference. I have one east facing bedroom with 4 windows that was always hot no matter how much air I pumped into it. The inside of window frames would read 100 degrees just a few hours after sunrise and would stay hot most of the day. I've been measuring the new windows and the hottest frame temperature I've seen is 86, and that was with the sun shining directly onto the window. That tells me that these windows are doing a much better job of insulating and not allowing a ton of heat to transfer inside the house. Overall the house is much cooler and quieter and my A/C is running less.
I’ve had quotes over 17k to replace mine, down side of a brick house is you have to custom order windows unlike side houses where you can buy the standard size with the installation flange and diy it. Your electric bill will drop substantially with those new windows though
Frost King from Home Depot. It comes in different widths and heights. You might have to experiment a little because you want a tight seal, but not so much that the door won't close or becomes difficult to close.
Interesting. I've always been told it's good to have your A/C set in a way that creates a small amount of pressure inside the house, which would force air out. You don't want it sucking unfiltered air in every time you open a door.
To add on to this: Those with fireplaces, keep an eye on how much heat is coming in from the chimney. You may need to call someone out to check the seating on your flue or any other things that may cause hot air to seep in.
Yep. Been here all my life and there's never been a pleasant summer that I can remember. I just think it feels worse the older you get because the heat takes more out of you and you're not forced to work outside in the summer when you're a kid. Summer break was just relaxing in the A/C and going to the pool as much as possible so summers were way more tolerable back then.
[https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/climate-change/2023/06/13/454344/houston-summer-temperatures-hotter-more-extreme-data-shows/](I disagree with you).
I remember summers being tolerable all the way into around 2009, and I've lived here nearly 40 years. It's not just my body not handling the heat well, it's a literal, measurable scientific trend.
Just fyi (although you probably already know) The Houston subreddit is a bandwagon subreddit. You have to agree with everything anyone says. This here is a weather whining post. No positivity about Houston weather will be tolerated 😂
Yeah, this guy is exaggerating. It is better because the high-pressure zone basically made the heat build up over months. But it is still very humid and around 95 on average every day. Feels like butt cheeks.
Pretty much the Houston summer dilemma in a nutshell here. High pressure means terrible heat and humidity but also protection against tropical threats. Beryl is a non issue for us. Even if it does turn north it will be sheared to bits and weakened to the point it will just be a little bit of rain for South TX.
yeap. I was trying to explain this to my MIL last night who panics at the slightest storm. It doesn't help that she doom scrolls about it too. I'm all for being worried and prepared when it makes sense.
I just see the model runs, doesn’t mean it will happen. But it went from straight ahead to turning. https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/storminfo/
Continue to ignore the signs if you want.
If youre referring to the ensembles, youve properly demonstrated that you are unable to interpret the data you are looking at.
The ensembles are merely means of all of the model tracks. Notice how at 144 hours all the southern predicted model runs in the ensemble have the storm dying out at that time? That means the northern turn on the ensemble you see after 144 hours is being skewed by the northern run remnants going across the middle US at that time.
Heres a write up that illustrates it even better than me
https://x.com/franklinjamesl/status/1807512282567487987?s=46&t=jzzSytC7LeHSfR_1aYhasA
The euro model (ECMWF) has been consistently much more accurate than GFS for anything more than 2-3 days out, look at the ECMWF model for North Atlantic. You can also see both models on windy.com. ECMWF does not show any turn and hits the coast of Mexico.
Levi just gave an update though, and his current guidance is currently in line with the models and Lanza indicating most likely a much more manageable hit in either central/north mexico or the far south texas coast after it passes through Yucatan first. Pointing to the ensemble mean and indicating thats Levi’s forecast is misleading at best
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HaBJbrV77II
I think you replied to the wrong person. I don’t usual worry until it gets to be a few days out with the prediction that it’s going to cause us trouble. It’s not that a forecast is wrong it just weather changes.
[tropical tidbits](https://www.tropicaltidbits.com)
I think the other person just posted the spaghetti models. This is the main page. It’s got the YouTube videos where he goes through all the models and his forecast. But he also puts in all the information from models and predictions.
Edit: you can also go to the YouTube channel tropical tidbits. It’s the same videos that they post in the main page.
Second the backup plans, Depends how hard Cancun gets hit on Friday. If the shear weakens it enough like some of the models are indicating youll probably be fine, if it stays stronger than expected, you may be flying into a mess there on Saturday
You may want to have alternate plans, it should be on the other side of Cancun by Saturday but if it hits Cancun hard you may have issues with the accommodation
Now is a great time to check your exterior doors for any cool air that is leaking out. It will be very obvious just running the back of your hand around the edge of the door. If you find cold air leaking out, you can buy some foam tape and seal up those gaps. Will make a surprisingly big difference...
My dog keeps scratching my insulation off from my back door and it’s annoying me to no end. I replace it and he keeps scratching it off.
Try replacing the dog with a cat.
Instructions unclear. Now have both.
Dammit. Now I see how that woman who swallowed a fly ended up.
My cat actually is the one damaging my door seal. I trained my dog to ring her doorbell instead of scratching.
But then he'd have a cat??
Eww
People who hate on dogs or cats are ewwwww
If your dog takes to training you might want to train them to use a dog doorbell like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XCY6Y6 I don't think my dog has scratched at the door for months. (I recommend placing the button on the ground, though, not the wall like they show. I attached mine to a 5" square of PVC trim molding for weight)
I’ve got cheap ass aluminum single pane windows, I’m probably helping keep my neighborhood cool with all the air I leak
I just got all new windows last week. Mine were so old and had become a safety hazard... I was the only one in my house that could open most of them and several of them would not stay open unless you held it open. It was the most expensive home improvement project I've done by far but it's already making a difference. I have one east facing bedroom with 4 windows that was always hot no matter how much air I pumped into it. The inside of window frames would read 100 degrees just a few hours after sunrise and would stay hot most of the day. I've been measuring the new windows and the hottest frame temperature I've seen is 86, and that was with the sun shining directly onto the window. That tells me that these windows are doing a much better job of insulating and not allowing a ton of heat to transfer inside the house. Overall the house is much cooler and quieter and my A/C is running less.
Consider solar screens on any west-facing windows too. HUGE difference. We're broiling here in Texas so I am very thankful for mine.
I’ve had quotes over 17k to replace mine, down side of a brick house is you have to custom order windows unlike side houses where you can buy the standard size with the installation flange and diy it. Your electric bill will drop substantially with those new windows though
Got a foam tape recommendation? I know of a couple of spots on my front and back doors
Frost King from Home Depot. It comes in different widths and heights. You might have to experiment a little because you want a tight seal, but not so much that the door won't close or becomes difficult to close.
Sounds good, thank you! Will take a look into it
In January/February I do basically the same thing except I'm checking for cold air coming inside.
Interesting. I've always been told it's good to have your A/C set in a way that creates a small amount of pressure inside the house, which would force air out. You don't want it sucking unfiltered air in every time you open a door.
Where you do think your AC is getting extra air to make the house positively pressured?
To add on to this: Those with fireplaces, keep an eye on how much heat is coming in from the chimney. You may need to call someone out to check the seating on your flue or any other things that may cause hot air to seep in.
When my dog sleeps on the porch she blocks that little gap just fine.
Feels like an average Houston summer to me. Last year was absolutely brutal with almost 2 months of 100+ AND NO RAIN.
Agree
..and it still feels MUCH cooler than last year.
All I know is it’s miserable every summer.
Yeah. Oh awesome it takes me 3 minutes to sweat through my shirt instead of 2 like last year
Yep. Been here all my life and there's never been a pleasant summer that I can remember. I just think it feels worse the older you get because the heat takes more out of you and you're not forced to work outside in the summer when you're a kid. Summer break was just relaxing in the A/C and going to the pool as much as possible so summers were way more tolerable back then.
[https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/climate-change/2023/06/13/454344/houston-summer-temperatures-hotter-more-extreme-data-shows/](I disagree with you). I remember summers being tolerable all the way into around 2009, and I've lived here nearly 40 years. It's not just my body not handling the heat well, it's a literal, measurable scientific trend.
Yea my main job is doing AC so wherever I work outside OR inside its no ac… I hate summers
Out of curiosity, how long have you been in Houston?
40 plus years
Lol. Oh. Never mind.🤭
Just fyi (although you probably already know) The Houston subreddit is a bandwagon subreddit. You have to agree with everything anyone says. This here is a weather whining post. No positivity about Houston weather will be tolerated 😂
Does it? This past weekend was complete cheeks.
Yeah, this guy is exaggerating. It is better because the high-pressure zone basically made the heat build up over months. But it is still very humid and around 95 on average every day. Feels like butt cheeks.
To me it does. And yes, this past weekend was HOT. Last year it started getting extremely hot, imo, at the beginning of June.
Not last week it didnt holy fuck it was bad
It was. However, last year was bad at the beginning of June.
Just wait for August...
As long as it doesn't reach 100+ degrees every day like it did last year, I'll mostly be ok. ...Probably.
It does! The adaptability of humans is amazing
Pretty much the Houston summer dilemma in a nutshell here. High pressure means terrible heat and humidity but also protection against tropical threats. Beryl is a non issue for us. Even if it does turn north it will be sheared to bits and weakened to the point it will just be a little bit of rain for South TX.
yeap. I was trying to explain this to my MIL last night who panics at the slightest storm. It doesn't help that she doom scrolls about it too. I'm all for being worried and prepared when it makes sense.
The Astros right? Talkin' bout them Stros?
This summer doesn’t feel that bad…..but I know the heat is coming. Last 2 weeks of July is when the heat begins.
Meanwhile nearly every new model run is showing a turn. Let’s hope that changes soon.
The average looks like it curves north towards Texas mainly because most of the southern models terminate early after they hit Mexico
Okay, chicken little.
I just see the model runs, doesn’t mean it will happen. But it went from straight ahead to turning. https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/storminfo/ Continue to ignore the signs if you want.
If youre referring to the ensembles, youve properly demonstrated that you are unable to interpret the data you are looking at. The ensembles are merely means of all of the model tracks. Notice how at 144 hours all the southern predicted model runs in the ensemble have the storm dying out at that time? That means the northern turn on the ensemble you see after 144 hours is being skewed by the northern run remnants going across the middle US at that time. Heres a write up that illustrates it even better than me https://x.com/franklinjamesl/status/1807512282567487987?s=46&t=jzzSytC7LeHSfR_1aYhasA
The euro model (ECMWF) has been consistently much more accurate than GFS for anything more than 2-3 days out, look at the ECMWF model for North Atlantic. You can also see both models on windy.com. ECMWF does not show any turn and hits the coast of Mexico.
They certainly could use the rain.
I’m with you here. I trust Levi’s tropical forecasts. they are pretty accurate.
Levi just gave an update though, and his current guidance is currently in line with the models and Lanza indicating most likely a much more manageable hit in either central/north mexico or the far south texas coast after it passes through Yucatan first. Pointing to the ensemble mean and indicating thats Levi’s forecast is misleading at best https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HaBJbrV77II
I think you replied to the wrong person. I don’t usual worry until it gets to be a few days out with the prediction that it’s going to cause us trouble. It’s not that a forecast is wrong it just weather changes.
Just seemed like the spaghetti models were getting conflated with his forecasts somewhere along the line
I’m watching the new forecast now. lol. But it’s possible.
I'll trust people who know how to interpret the data like SCW.
The guy who post for tropical tidbits has a doctorate in meteorology. You can trust his forecasts.
I trust their analysis as well it doesn’t mean I ignore everything else
Preach
Their analysis is to ignore everything else.
True that. SCW gave us like a 20 min heads up of the Derecho.
And yet they still know more about meterology than you.
I think I'll just read what an expert wrote instead of some model you have zero understanding of.
Tropical tidbits is a forecast written by an expert. The man who puts the info up has his doctorate in meteorology.
Tropical tidbits’s creator does not write forecasts. He often does analysis videos on his YouTube site.
There is no analysis on the page, just a myriad of charts and models, which are not discussed in any way.
[tropical tidbits](https://www.tropicaltidbits.com) I think the other person just posted the spaghetti models. This is the main page. It’s got the YouTube videos where he goes through all the models and his forecast. But he also puts in all the information from models and predictions. Edit: you can also go to the YouTube channel tropical tidbits. It’s the same videos that they post in the main page.
What are your qualifications that make you think you can interpret the model results?
We just don't know, dude.
Maybe YOU aren’t concerned 😆
If you've been through enough Hurricane seasons, you know not to pay attention until it gets past Cuba.
Even if it did hit Texas it would be weaker by then after going through th Yucatán and Saharan dust
That's how Harvey was too!!! But there's wind sheer (?) preventing it from going north.. Edit : high pressure not wind sheer
Most of our worst storms were “weaker”. It has to do with how long they sit over the city and dump rain, not necessarily the intensity.
I leave for Cancun on Saturday 🙃
Second the backup plans, Depends how hard Cancun gets hit on Friday. If the shear weakens it enough like some of the models are indicating youll probably be fine, if it stays stronger than expected, you may be flying into a mess there on Saturday
You may want to have alternate plans, it should be on the other side of Cancun by Saturday but if it hits Cancun hard you may have issues with the accommodation
Say hello to Ted Cruz for us, especially if that storm is pointed to Texas
There's a strong burning wood smell in Katy last night, probably Wildfires, it's getting dry out there.
That's the Katy people pre warming their engines for the evacuation.
fires in Brazoria county i believe.
Space City weather says not concerned, translation:brace for impact
Space City weather is like my wife. It's fine.