r/Austin • u/armooooooo1 • Jul 06 '26
Shitpost It’s so fucking hot I’m going insane
I know that it’s not as hot as it will get or whatever I’ve lived here my entire life but Jesus fucking Christ I’m gonna lose it. First off my cars AC is shit, it barely works and my car gets steaming hot when it sits in the sun for an X amount of time. Even when my ac does get going I’m still sweating my ass off when I’m driving, like I can’t get away from it and I want to explode, I get so frustrated. I hate the heat I hate it I hate it I hate it
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u/krusman Jul 06 '26
Long time Austinite. I do think the longer I have been here, the worse the summer heat seems to be. It might be due to concrete jungle Austin has become and lack of a Texas breeze through the city. I can't believe it seems that much hotter than it was 20 years ago.
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u/BeanserSoyze Jul 06 '26
Yeah lived here my whole life. It's absolutely harder every year lol. Every year the heat mocks me. "oooo you were gonna move to the great lakes? Guess not dumbass."
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u/meanbeanking Jul 07 '26
Just spent a week off of Lake Michigan the humidity makes their 85/90 summers pretty rough not gonna lie.
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u/atxgossiphound Jul 07 '26
You just missed the good weather, unfortunately. Last week was the heat dome, which isn't typical. I'm visiting up in the area right now and it's 70/80s, which is more typical of their summers (August always has a few hot weeks, though). Humid, but not oppressive. But, yeah, when it hits 90s up here, it sucks.
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u/meanbeanking Jul 07 '26
I go there every summer. Even the 80s is hot because of the humidity. My husband and I comment on it every time because we’re like “damn, were from Texas and 80s there is nice.” Just saying the weather isn’t perfect. Then you deal with ice and snow for 4 months.
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u/Honestbabe2021 Jul 06 '26
I agree but it’s getting hotter everywhere. It’s so hot on the east coast right now. Their humidity today was 80 at a lower temperature and ours 52% at 95 degrees/ both feel insufferable but we have all winter of beautiful weather instead of snow. This is what i repeat to myself all July august and September
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u/Globeville_Obsolete Jul 07 '26
I’m visiting my mom in Denver right now.It hit 100 today, and she doesn’t have AC (you used to not really need it up here). Not to mention the entire state is on fire.
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u/psycrowbirdbrain Jul 07 '26
East coast and Midwest do get hot with humidity, but they also don't stay hot, usually, all summer. They also usually cool down at night even when hot during the day.
Central Texas gets hotter as the summer progresses and doesn't cool down over night, or not as much, so the next day feels just as hot or more so.
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u/Conscious_Raisin_436 Jul 07 '26
It’s been 100 degrees and humid in Chicago for the last few days. The Great Lakes can’t save you anymore.
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u/eju2000 Jul 06 '26
Austin is getting hotter & more humid as climate change intensifies so no, it’s not your imagination. It’s clearly visible in the data
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u/RobHerpTX Jul 06 '26
Yes - the average temperature as of last year was up ~4.4F from just the beginning of the 80’s.
The humidity profile now matches Houston’s historical baseline (but Houston has gotten more humid too - we haven’t caught up).
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u/spastical-mackerel Jul 07 '26
Houston is moving towards New Delhi. ie uninhabitable
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u/NearlyNakedNick Jul 06 '26
I moved from Houston 14 years ago. I can confirm, this is pretty close to Houston humidity from 20 years ago. But yeah, it's climate change...not "concrete jungle" or lack of a breeze...like, wut
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u/Imaginary_Orange_572 Jul 06 '26
No, the “concrete jungle” thing is a real thing. The more concrete a city has the more it traps heat and makes the city and surrounding areas much much hotter. All the development comes with a price. When they cut down the trees for the new builds, that makes it hotter too.
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u/Tricky_Condition_279 Jul 07 '26
You’re not wrong, but more than one thing can be happening. It’s getting hotter outside of cities as well and it’s indisputably tied to pollution. The worst thing is that evenings are getting hotter faster than daytime highs, which is exactly the time you would like to be hanging out enjoying the cooldown from the afternoon heat; no such luck.
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u/Imaginary_Orange_572 Jul 07 '26
Yes, and a lot of the reason nights are hotter is because all the extra concrete traps a bunch of heat that just radiates out all night…it’s a fact cities are a lot hotter than the country.
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u/elegiac_bloom Jul 07 '26
The concrete jungle contributes to climate change. Its a real thing. Austin is a heat island. In a greener area with less parking lots the temperature is lower.
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u/meanbeanking Jul 07 '26
Moved here from Houston in 2017 and I feel like we’re getting closer to it every year.
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u/RobHerpTX Jul 07 '26
Yeah, with more heat. Austin has always averaged a decent bit hotter (3-4 degrees)
Totally personal preference on which is worse between more humidity or more heat though. I’m not sure which has a higher average heat index (I suspect Houston by a tiny bit?).
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u/mthorogood Jul 07 '26
The length of time I had to scroll before someone finally mentions climate change. Climate change is real. We’ll be our own demise.
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u/Relative_Flounder_13 Jul 07 '26
I had a similar observation. Oh it is getting hot! No joke. Look at real news and not just news profitably published and you will see how bleak it is. Yet continue on.
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Jul 06 '26
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u/Electrik_Truk Jul 06 '26
My neighbors, in their late 60s early 70s have been in Texas their entire life. They moved up north two years ago lol
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u/songbirdtx1268 Jul 07 '26
I’m glad you had the means to get the heck out of Texas. I don’t. Stuck, and it sucks!!
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u/TENDER_ONE Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
People always look at me crazy when I say something about this subject but I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!!
GROCERY STORE PARKING LOTS HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING PAVED WITH BLACKTOP! THIS WAS A DECISION MADE BY SOMEONE WHO WORKED IN CIA INTERROGATION.
It’s literal torture to walk 100 yards on blacktop feeling like you’re being cooked in a convection oven. It makes me dread going to the grocery store and then not want to leave the grocery store once I’m in. We’ve advanced so much in society. Why are we destroying all the earth and cooking ourselves?!
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u/Mysterious_Umpire684 Jul 07 '26
Would love for parking lots to be covered with solar panel carports
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u/Much_Capital_967 Jul 07 '26
I loved how Costco parking lot in Maui is actually covered with solar panels; it’s a win-win!
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u/accidentalrorschach Jul 07 '26
...while also inhalinng everyone's exhaust as they sit idling in their cars scrolling on their phones.
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u/DirtSlapper Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
It's also impermeable cover and it should be fucking criminal. I remember as a kid there were multiple lots in this city that were built with permeable pavers and over time that trend has virtually disappeared in favor of fully paved. I feel we are going backwards in terms of environmental protections in this city and with a growing population those protections are more important now than they ever were.
Meanwhile the city agressively prevents things like responsible use and prudent maintenance of our natural suface single track trails through the balcones canyonlands because of the warbler and shit. News flash, the warbler doesn't fucking care about hikers and bikers enjoying the greenbelt. Climate change is what is gonna kill em. Development is gonna kill em. We're not destroying their habitat when we build a 12" wide trail. But these massive subdivisions in the hill country are going to fucking kill it all.
Also the more people who get to enjoy our green spaces the more appreciation you will have in the community for those green spaces. Duh.
This city has stupid ass priorities and shit leadership. Sorry for the rant.
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u/TENDER_ONE Jul 07 '26
As a fellow ranter with my very own soapbox, I say…rant away. Some things just need to be said.
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u/Unc6ix9ine Jul 06 '26
This year has been way more humid than normal i feel. Still i really don't know how as a kid in the 90s we went to pretty much 100% outdoor summer camps (lookin at you Doublecreek)
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u/DudzTx Jul 07 '26
I work with a major hvac manufacturer in the US. They constantly track weather trends bc they have to manufacture their equipment to accommodate different climates region to region. They said Austin today, is equivalent to Houston 20yrs ago. I came to Austin about 20yrs ago from Houston and thought it was paradise comparatively. I can only imagine what Houston feels like now ...
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u/z0d14c Jul 06 '26
Ironically you can have a "concrete jungle" i.e. lots of buildings and still be cool -- you need them to be close enough together to provide shade though, and invest in shade structures and greenery to help cool things down, but we're a ways away from that. Big stroads definitely don't help
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u/Conscious_Raisin_436 Jul 06 '26
It’s because you’re getting older. Your body gets worse at regulating heat as you age. True fact.
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u/AntiBoATX Jul 07 '26
It’s quite literally global warming. And more development means less vegetation. That’s why I moved to the PNW. Texas will be uninhabitable in large parts in 50 years
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u/stories_from_tejas Jul 06 '26
I’m no scientist, but density and more cars has to be some kind of factor. Was a mild start though so this year didn’t seem too bad.
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u/Late_Ambassador7470 Jul 06 '26
It was a bad year to take a job outside
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u/armooooooo1 Jul 06 '26
I don’t anymore but I did valet the past 5 years. It was a nightmare. People would let me sit in their cars with the AC on blast so that was nice
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u/fLeXaN_tExAn Jul 06 '26
You can service your car's A/C yourself with a recharge system at any auto parts store. Should be around $70. I always recommend getting ceramic tint as well. The kind that blocks out 99% of the UV rays. Makes a huge difference.
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u/armooooooo1 Jul 06 '26
I will be looking into this thank you
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u/zombietrooper Jul 07 '26
CHECK YOUR CABIN AIR FILTER.
Sorry about yelling, but it's the reason for sooo many poorly performing car air conditioners.
Also a little summer hack I do during the worst parts of summer, I just completely remove my cabin air filter, gives it an extra boost.
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u/gravitydriven Jul 06 '26
Way less than $70 for the freon recharge. And just regular dark tint should only be $100ish. You got this brother
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u/Yaboymarvo Jul 06 '26
FYI, car ac systems are a sealed system so you really shouldn’t have to recharge with one of those cans, if you are then you have a leak somewhere and need to get that fixed instead and have it properly charged. Those cans are just a waste of money.
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Jul 06 '26 edited Sep 09 '26
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u/smacktalker987 Jul 07 '26
can only do it so many times because air is getting trapped in there each recharge which will eventually blow the compressor.
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u/DavusClaymore Jul 08 '26
Yep, the AC system needs to be vacuumed to get rid of any moisture and air before recharging. Any moisture in the system will definitely eventually ruin the compressor.
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u/ice_up_s0n Jul 07 '26
OP this is 100% correct.
I finally got my ac checked out and the o-rings on the compressor had worn out so my freon had been leaking out over time.
Yes you can by a $70 can and recharge yourself, but its a temporary fix, and you also need to be careful not to overcharge it.
Or if you can afford to, take it to a local independent shop and ask how much for a vacuum test to check for leaks.
DIY tip you can actually mix 1 part water and 1 part dish soap and put it on the places the tubing connects to the ac system. Turn it on and if you start seeing small bubbles forming, you know there's a leak and its probably a cheap rubber part to replace and fix it.
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u/MoistCloyster_ Jul 06 '26
Here I am just thinking about how this summer has felt pretty mild.
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u/why_have_friends Jul 06 '26
Right? Up until this morning, it’s felt pretty pleasant. Morning breezes help. Even this evening doesn’t feel bad.
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u/denzien Jul 07 '26
I don't think last summer even got over 105. Here's hoping for the same again ...
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u/SWEET__BROWN Jul 06 '26
I made the mistake of vacationing in the mountains in Canada in June and it was magical. This heat the last week or so has been like 10x harder to handle knowing that such cool, comfortable paradise exists elsewhere. First world problem, without a doubt, just saying
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u/yolatrendoid Jul 06 '26
I made the mistake of vacationing in the mountains of Canada over a decade ago, and at this point my summers are fucking ruined if I can't make it up there for at least a week or two. (I'm heading to BC two weeks from today, and am presently counting the nanoseconds until then.)
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u/armooooooo1 Jul 06 '26
I’m actually a duel Canadian citizen and I will be moving to Canada for school next summer. Fuck this shit I’m out!
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u/SWEET__BROWN Jul 06 '26
You might also be a dual citizen too!
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u/gravitydriven Jul 06 '26
Nah, it's a new program. He only gets to be a citizen if he wins the duel. It's controversial, but it's better than being stuck in America
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u/armooooooo1 Jul 06 '26
I have about 2 months to train for my duel. Only allowed to use hockey sticks. Wish me luck
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u/AvidAth3ist Jul 06 '26
I went to Seattle in April one year, and it was lovely. And then I came back home and coming out of the airport, the humidity was like being covered with a lead blanket.
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u/Deezus1229 Jul 07 '26
My husband and I just returned from Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and the humidity as soon as we landed made me want to grab my bags and turn right back around.
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u/KeyRub7815 Jul 07 '26
Ditto coming back to Austin from Seattle in June. I swear my sinuses swelling up and I started wheezing as soon as we started to descend. It was midnight, 90 degrees outside and 73% humidity.
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u/aleph4 Jul 06 '26
I made the mistake of just going on vacation in France where it was 105 without AC. That actually just made me more tired of coming back to more heat
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u/Butter_mah_bisqits Jul 06 '26
Tips from a menopausal woman... I’ve driven many cars without ac my whole old life. If you cannot afford to get the ac fixed, take a cooler with you with multiple ice packs and a cooling towel. Put an ice pack in between the nipple area and the towel around your neck. It’s a game changer. Get an extra little fan for your car. It makes the ice packs and towel feel even colder. Use the sunshade and cover the steering wheel with a towel. Crack all windows if you are able to. The best parking spot isn’t the one closest to the building. It’s the one where your car will be in the shade when you come out of work or the store.
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u/McDoobly-For-DinDin Jul 06 '26
Yeah, this heat isn’t ideal, and sorry about your car. But this isn’t your first rodeo. Keep a towel in your car, buy a windshield shade, stay hydrated, etc etc
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u/ObiWanRyobi Jul 06 '26
Try getting a $39 can of AC refrigerant and recharge your car’s AC. Did that to our 16 year old Toyota and it’s been blasting cold air for 2 years.
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u/AgentOrange96 Jul 06 '26
On top of this, use recirculation mode on your climate control. That way tour AC just has to keep the existing air cool rather than constantly cooling stupid hot air.
Just don't do that for like several hours on end or your air will get stale.
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u/adrianmonk Jul 07 '26
I wouldn't worry about the air getting stale. Even with it set to recirculation mode, about 10% of the air is coming from outside.
Here's a source from one auto manufacturer: https://support.lexus.com/s/article/When-the-system-is-se-8309
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u/LostInSpace_69 Jul 07 '26
This largely depends on the car’s age and style of AC compressor and also assumes they don’t have a leak somewhere and/or a locked up compressor. Newer cars have sensitive pressure sensors that will only engage the compressor if you’ve got the exact amt of refrigerant - even half an oz under or over could stop the system. Tl;dr get an actual diagnosis before pumping auto zone can refrigerant into your vehicle
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u/BoogaDoom Jul 06 '26
I think it been slightly milder so far compared to the past 2 summers.
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u/denzien Jul 07 '26
Yeah, I don't think it got over 105 all summer last year. Though - I seem to recall that the summer lasted longer into October than normal, which I didn't like.
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u/christophla Jul 06 '26
So far, this year has been heaven. Late rains, low 90s. I was a mess ten years ago after moving from New England.
Sort out your clothing, walk a little slower, hydrate, and hide mid afternoon. You’ll adapt and be fine.
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u/isagoat1989 Jul 06 '26
Look at the bright side, this is the coolest summer of the next 400 million years!
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u/hunnyflash Jul 06 '26
Moving to Texas and seeing the little temu crow birds. I was like...what are these and why are they everywhere and whenever I'm in a grocery store parking lot. And why are there so many of them here but not in California?
I would have thought such a common bird would make its way across the whole country.
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u/BoxedCheese Jul 06 '26
How old are you? I live in Santa Fe and it is extremely boring with nothing to do outside of nature trips (which are amazing). Looking to move in a few months because I can't take how old the community in this town is.
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Jul 06 '26
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u/BoxedCheese Jul 06 '26
SF is going to be perfect for you. I made the move here almost 40 years too early hah.
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u/IcyFalcon007 Jul 06 '26
Man. It’s only going to get worse too. Hang in there. We are all slowing roasting together.
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u/ladsam Jul 06 '26
The stupid heat limits me and my dog’s outdoor adventures and so we just stay indoors and get fat.
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u/Magna_Carta1216 Jul 06 '26
I feel it's tame than previous years, last year also wasn't too hot imo
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u/thespaniard1992 Jul 07 '26
We haven’t even hit 100°F yet. We also haven’t even gotten those brutal lingering High-Pressure systems over Texas yet. As a south central Texan, Bring on the Texas heat!
It’s not has bad as 2022-2023 summers - we so have to deal with higher humidity this year so maybe that’s why it feels warmer.
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u/flyingforfun3 Jul 06 '26
You have some options:
1.) don’t go outside till late September
2.) do everything in the morning/after dark
3.) get in a pool/lake/river
4.) sorry, bud it’s hot as fuck for the summer. It’s always been.
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u/denisfang0616 Jul 06 '26
Or just fix the ac of the car
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u/whereismyplacehere Jul 07 '26
"have you tried not being broke?"
Sincerely, someone without car ac in Austin as well
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u/Cautious-Ant4882 Jul 06 '26
Try a portable misting fan to use in your car. Sorry bud, heat is going to be pretty unbearable for the foreseeable future.
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u/Mindless_Chain_6699 Jul 06 '26
I hate to tell you buddy, I've been down here for the last 12 years (ex NY'r) and this is the mildest summer we have had yet.. Not a single 100 day yet and its still getting into the 70s at night. It is typically much much worse than this.
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u/belgiqueatx Jul 06 '26
I spent 2 weeks in Italy and southern Spain during early August. That made me appreciate Austin summers so much more.
Stay cool, friends.
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u/GrandmaesterHinkie Jul 06 '26
It’s not this that gets to me… it’s the second summer and it being 90 in October that kills me more each year.
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u/iamdense Jul 06 '26
And people wonder why I park under the only tall trees way the fuck in the back of the HEB lot.
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u/Adorable-Tadpole-681 Jul 06 '26
Take a trip to Mexico City for a break. It’s in the 50s at night, 70s during the day; 2 hour flight and tons of affordable hotel options
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u/gracecase Jul 06 '26
When I moved here in 97 Texas had broke a record for the amount of days over 100° in heat, and I did not have AC for my car. So I was rolling out with the windows down. Last year, my car also did not have AC so as I drove back-and-forth to work and everywhere else, it was with the windows down. Yes, it is hot. Yes, it is humid, but it's been that way in Texas for me anytime I've been here. Most of the time, people go from their air-conditioned places to air-conditioned cars to their air-conditioned places of work, but that's just not everybody. If this aint the place for you, then it's not the place for you. Personally, I just accepted a job in Minnesota because I need the money and I can't find work here. If I could find the money here I would stay here. I love Austin that much. To hell with the weather. And I am sad I'm leaving.
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u/Whats_Water Jul 07 '26
I always hear natives tell new residents that they’ll get used to the heat.
No you fucking won’t. I’ve lived here my entire life. The heat sucks and you don’t get used to it. It just becomes something you hate every year.
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u/The_Time_When Jul 07 '26
Yup leaving as soon as I can. I can’t go as far North as I want but a least I will have four seasons again. Not just hot, hotter and hell.
Give me snow any day of the week. Shoveled snow for over a decade, would gladly have the snow vs this heat.
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u/dioxin-screes-01 Jul 07 '26
I’m not from here, I’m from a much cooler climate up north. It ain’t that hot. Barely even run A/C at home.
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u/LowSignificance4671 Jul 06 '26
Dear Summer Child, you have no idea what you are going to be in for soon. You may need to leave town.
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u/Dante13273966 Jul 06 '26
If you've lived here all your life you should already know, but as a reminder, August will be hotter than it is now, and quite possibly September too. Brace yourself and pace yourself.
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u/Jennyonthebox2300 Jul 07 '26
I feel like it’s hotter longer so it’s hell for longer than I can bear.
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u/signal_lost Jul 07 '26
Texas, including the Austin–San Antonio area, is getting more humid. Summer dew points have risen ~3°F since 1940, which amplifies the heat index even on days that aren't record-hot air temperatures.
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u/Exciting-Ad8198 Jul 07 '26
We went for a walk tonight around 7:15-7:35 ish and it was kind of nice. Temp said it was 91 but it felt much cooler and the breeze was lovely. Wrangling two goldens and I didn’t break a sweat.
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u/scottmademesignup Jul 07 '26
The last two summers have been pretty mild so this is really not that bad.
-someone who’s been here since 1989.
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u/Iamthecreator22 Jul 07 '26
Does your car have tinted windows? If not, I highly recommend. I just recently got mine done. I went with the ceramic tint and I really do feel a difference (My car is old, a 2008 model). The AC works so much better now. I take Mopac while coming home from work and sitting in traffic for an hour was killing me. Worth all the money. Get the tint!
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u/ThymeIsNeeded Jul 06 '26
A good windshield cover is extremely helpful. As are side window covers. If your A/C is blowing, lower the back windows to force out the hot air and let the cooler air flow through the car. Don't close your car doors until the A/C is running and the windows are lowered. You didn't mention about your steering wheel but if it gets really hot then put a towel over it prior to leaving your car.
Try getting a couple of stroller fans and attach to the door and the middle console so you can at least have a breeze on your face when A/C is completely on the fritz.
The heat is no fun. There is no acclimization. There is only avoidance and survival.
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u/NorthAmericanVex Jul 06 '26
There's SpiderMan and The Odyssey...and that's about it for a few months
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u/RagingLeonard Jul 06 '26
Pro tip to quickly cool a car: open the driver's windows, then open and close the opposite door 5 to 7 times. I quickly removes the oven temp air.
No AC still sucks, but that'll cool your car a lot in a hurry.
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u/FleurDeCat Jul 06 '26
I feel ya. Tubed the river over the weekend and still ended up with heat exhaustion (got physically sick, migraine, etc.).
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u/NitroRoller Jul 06 '26
I just got back from the mountains of CO where it was 70 every day and now I want to put my head through a wall. Although weirdly enough, I missed the humidity? The dry dusty air made my nose bleed every day I was there.
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u/Necessary-Sell-4998 Jul 07 '26
Saw a waiter using a neck cooling device. (outside restaurant). Best Buy, Dicks, Target, etc. Keep a lot of water with you. Simple - but water in a spray bottle I keep in the fridge. Small - heb. Spray your neck, head, whatever Lots of fans around. Battery powered fan, some have misters. All kinds of options on Amazon, some at Home Depot. Walk with an umbrella. Dress cooler, no black, thinner material, etc. Swim.
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u/Good_Split_3749 Jul 07 '26
crack the windows, park in the shade, and put up a sun shade, I thought it was bs for years then my girlfriend for me to, it’s made an improvement. still hot but not as hot
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u/john-bkk Jul 07 '26
I've lived in Austin in the past, and in Dallas, but I'm in Bangkok just now, and it's on another level. It's not the heat, it's the humidity, which sticks in the 70% range, even in the mid 90s (mid to upper 30s C for us here).
One "hack" is to get out in the heat a good bit to acclimate, and go for walks, or eat outside. Keep indoor AC on the warmer side, so you don't switch between really cold and really hot.
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u/vitium Jul 07 '26
This is going to sound crazy, and it may be....but...its a thought.
Slowly adjust your home AC warmer. Acclimate your body to warmer temperatures, and the shock from inside to outside (or car) will feal less dramatic.
I used to rock my AC at 70 and the outside felt horrible, all the time.
I've been slowly adjusting my temperature up in my house. I now feel very comfortable at 79, and if it gets below 75 I'm cold.
When I go outside now, I still dislike the heat and humidity, but it doesn't drive me crazy like it used to.
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u/FishnetSinner Jul 08 '26
I never knew you could get seasonal depression in the summertime until I moved to Austin.
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u/DardamusPrime Jul 06 '26
Native Austinites here. My wife and I complained and suffered through the brutal 6 months long summers and relentless drought. Last year we said we had enough. Two months ago we moved to NE Pennsylvania. The weather here is effing wonderful so far. Only been a couple of days where I was sweating outside. Morning temps in the 40s into June. I’m sure I will pay for it next winter but for now loving the change!
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u/frankensteimade Jul 06 '26
Same. I'll take this over shoveling snow though. Sorry you are having a shit week.
I'm sure you already know find shade trees, gallon water jug or the bottle of green mix in the car for the radiator, and the separate attachment for R-134 A refridgent cans is less expensive than buying the cans with the attachment built on it after a few go arounds.
I went a summer with no A/C and my radiator going out, worked out being I would have to turn on my heat to cool it while I pulled over and prayed. It was pure hell, actual hell. Better days are to come and enjoy your time inside.
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u/Meowsilbub Jul 07 '26
Grew up in Oregon. Lived in Vegas for 2 years and spent summers in California. Lived in Hawaii for a decade. I'm year 6 here and it's my last summer. I just cannot handle the heat anymore. I can't enjoy outdoors between the heat, humidity, and allergens. I've dropped a lot fixing my car because I can't stand going outside to do it myself. I'm miserable. I miss hiking, I miss taking my dog on walks, I miss sitting on my back porch. I miss existing outside. RR was more tolerable then Austin.
I know it's going to be cold where I'm going, and my knees and hips will hurt most of winters again (they have since I was a kid), but goddamn I want to be able to go outside again. I'm not leaving until September and it's a struggle this year despite it being mild (and y'all, this is my third "mild" summer and I still stand by how miserable it is).
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u/Wisewordsforlater Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
This is nothing. Pretty tame so far. You weren't here in 2011? 2023?
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u/flyingforfun3 Jul 06 '26
That was insane! Wasn’t the first 100 degree day in June? That was a brutal summer.
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u/Wisewordsforlater Jul 06 '26
June 18th. 80 days 100 or above that summer, about half of those days were 105+, recalling off top of my head. 100F temps showed out til final week of September and a random early October day.
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u/intrinsic_toast Jul 07 '26
Moved into a third-story apartment on the hottest day of 2011. It was so awful (and I moved here from Vegas)! Didn’t think anything would ever beat that summer, until 2023. Worst summer of my life. But I hate it here every year tbh, even this year. Give me peak desert summertime over here any day!
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u/MixedEchogenicity Jul 06 '26
Yeah, I don’t know why our ancestors picked Texas of all places with a 9 month long summer of hell.
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u/Fit_Skirt7060 Jul 07 '26
My great grandmother was born in 1873 and came to Texas as a small child.
She passed at 106 in 1979.
My grandmother, her daughter made it to 96.
Neither of them ever lived in a house that had air-conditioning.
I am biggest AC baby there is by comparison.
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u/Aggravating_Turn4196 Jul 06 '26
Why does the heat feel particularly bad this year??? I swear I normally have more tolerance but the past few days being in the sun has been UNBEARABLE
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u/One_Strawberry7608 Jul 07 '26
I really do sympathise with you. We moved here a year ago from the UK and I had a total fit in my car today. My husband had my keys and he was in alerting and I was already in the car, it was unlocked. I just had suede j couldn’t go all the way upstairs again so I just waited. My makeup melted down my shirt and I just thought, why bother getting showered and dressed for this shit? I cried, I had mascara down my face and I missed my PT appointment. It’s distressing if you aren’t used to it and I am not used to it!
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u/AfroBurrito77 Jul 07 '26
I also hate the heat. Passionately. I hate it more when I recall living with seasons (I am from here, but have lived elsewhere). The humidity is also getting worse.
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u/rithanor Jul 07 '26
I use windshield screens and open all my car doors after work when I turn my car on and let it air out while I wait in the shade. // Still sucks going in, but letting it cool off a bit (no ac running) definitely helps to mitigate the internal temp.
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u/hle1983 Jul 07 '26
Hey. I have those recharge AC cans. You want to try recharging your car AC? Look it up. How to recharge your car AC. If interested we could coordinate.
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u/Old-Set78 Jul 07 '26
My car's AC doesn't work and I bring those big blue plastic ice blocks you use in picnics and have one in the hollow of my back and if it's still too hot I throw another down my shirt idgaf
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u/npfundmaker Jul 07 '26
Have you tried an AC recharge kit? They're like $40 and it definitely helped me.
And I feel ya. I have a big hole in my duct work and thus my house gets up to 80-82 degrees in the heat of the day. Ever wish you went into the trades so you could fix this stuff on your own?
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u/snoopycultleader Jul 07 '26
Get a UV umbrella and breathable UV jacket! It's been a game changer for me. The direct sunlight is fucking exhausting. I'm outside all day for work.
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u/The_Name_Is_Slick Jul 07 '26
Y’all got no idea what early 2000s skinny jeans hipsters had to endure
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u/philipjfry1578 Jul 07 '26
work at the airport, was severely dehydrated today and cooked my brain. i literally can't think and my chest really hurts
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u/MostHighlight7957 Jul 07 '26
It's the worst - let it out!! prioritze getting the car a/c fixed if you can. you are not alone. deep breaths and soak in coolish water
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u/Beckett766 Jul 07 '26
Austin is a life style. We have 3 GREAT seasons and 1 winter (our Summer). Its a decent trade off.
Tips and tricks:
1) VACATION or relocate temporarily anywhere north starting at Colorado.
2) AIR CONDITIONING is a modern wonder: It's everywhere..
3) HYDRATE way more than you think you should. Throw in electrolytes now and then.
3) PARK CLOSE in partial shade ideally. Invest in a sun front window shade.
3) SEEK SHADE. The temperature feels 15 degrees cooler
4) SEEK WATER Pools, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, sprinklers, fountains, etc. Stand up paddle boarding, floating with tube or noodles, kayaking, canoeing. Important: see water in the morning 10
IMPORTANT 10 am - 1 pm and 4 pm only. Don't mess with Mr In-Between! Floats are rentable at Lady Bird Lake.
5) NO ALCOHOL direct sun rays. Dehydration and sun stroke is no joke! The bigger ones involve an ambulance, ER, seizures, vomiting, passing out. Pretty common.
6) NO SUN BATHING!!!! Melanoma is real.
7) ENJOY THE NIGHTLIFE. 80% of folks that out are out and about socializing in public in the night a
8) ANY HAT AND UV SUNGLASSES / flip flops / light clothing / covering
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u/songbirdtx1268 Jul 07 '26
Yep. Stuck living here with medical conditions that cause me to easily overheat. Let me tell you, it’s just so much fun 🙄
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u/Flat-Asparagus6036 Jul 07 '26
It's amazing what ceramic tint and one of those windshield reflectors will do..
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u/SerenityScout Jul 07 '26
I FEEL THIS SO HARD!!! The AC in my 2011 Hyundai Tucson permanently crapped out in January 2023. The whole system needs to be replaced, and I’m just not going to do it in a 15-year-old car when I’m so ready for a new one. The heat legitimately made me pretty sick after being in it off and on yesterday.
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u/Competitive_Big_6526 Jul 07 '26
Those windshield blockers are clutch this time of year. Also a trip to deep eddy, Barton, or commons ford/jessica Hollis is life hanging when it gets to roasting like this. And a solo movie theatre date 🍒
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u/lifeuuuuhhfindsaway Jul 07 '26
I swear I never get winter depression. I only get summer depression living in Texas. 😭
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u/Own_Loquat_1613 Jul 06 '26
And it’s only the beginning, we’re preheating right now