Oh, that's right. I have. And unlike last year, there's probably not going to be a surprise trip to the Middle East to divert my attention away from the wretchedness that is August, either.
August is regarded my most locals as the hottest and most oppressive month of the Houston summer. Technically, however, July is marginally warmer, with an average high temperature of 94 degrees. August's average high is 93 degrees; the average lows for the two months are the same.
I think most locals (myself included) perceive August to be the hottest month of the year simply because they don't notice it as much in July. People know it's hot outside, to be sure, but other midsummer activities - Independence Day, for example, or the height of the summer travel season - takes everybody's minds off the heat. August, however, offers fewer distractions from the climate; the month has no holidays of its own, and the summer travel season is coming to a close as children prepare to return to school. There's not as much to take people's minds off the blistering temperatures and choking humidity outside, and people therefore notice the heat more readily.
Also, at the beginning of July it has only been really hot for a few weeks or so; people haven't "had enough" of the summer heat yet. By the time August rolls around, however, people have indeed grown weary of the heat and are looking forward for the summer to end. This, in turn, might make the outside temperatures seem hotter than they really are.
Indeed, August might not truly be the hottest month of the year, but people perceive it as being most onerous month of the Houston summer. That's what counts.
And that's why I hate August.
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