Whenever I talk to people about the weather in Texas, their minds drift back to old John Wayne movies. Texas, to them is a desert where everybody wears cowboy hats and rides a horse. Some think you have to park your car at the Red River before coming in from Oklahoma. And above all, they believe that Texas, while very hot, is a DRY HEAT.

This is all fantasy. Yes, west Texas is hot and dry, and there are still cowboy ranchers. But the state, in case you haven’t seen a map, is huge! East Texas is all forest, grassland and prairie. That can’t happen in the desert. There is plenty of rain, especially in the spring and fall. The summer heat is as brutal as advertised. And unfortunately, it is NOT a dry heat.

Summer Weather in Tyler

The weather in Tyler Texas is humid all year round. Some say the summer lasts 6 months, which is not exactly true. Expect things to heat up in May and stay hot until September. The terrific thunderstorms will temper the heat in May, but temperatures will reach the 90’s. In June and July, it starts getting bad. The rain usually eases up, and the sun does it’s damage. But the humidity is the worst part.

August is generally the most brutal, with temperatures regularly reaching the 100’s. Things don’t cool down much in the evenings either, because the direct sunlight isn’t what you’re feeling the most: the humidity is. I reiterate: this is not a dry heat at all. It is, as a friend of mine said, “like living in a dog’s mouth!”

Fall Weather in Tyler

Autumn in Tyler is wonderful. Late September football games will still feel hot, but when you’re finally down in the 70’s in October, you will be relieved. Summer is over, and the good part begins. Temperatures are moderate, trees lose their leaves, and somehow, the roses are blooming for the annual Rose Festival. Thunderstorms will come again in the fall, and they are magnificent!

Winter Weather in Tyler

When winter finally hits, you will smile as you watch reports of blizzards in the midwest, because for you, it’s 45 degrees and sunny. Don’t be surprised, however, when the temperatures fall below freezing, and it feels much cooler than your thermometer says. It’s still humid, even in the cold, and that wetness can carry a surprising bite. On those rare freezes when you actually get precipitation, the city will effectively shut down. Schools will be closed, businesses will be deserted, and the children of Tyler will rejoice. Northerners often poke fun at this overreaction, but it makes good sense. Tyler is not equipped to deal with icy roads. There are no salt trucks or snow plows to make the highways safe. You’re on your own out there. Keep that in mind!

Spring Weather in Tyler

Spring is by far the most beautiful season to live in Tyler. The temperatures are in the 50’s the sun is out, and the azaleas are blooming all over the place. It is magnificent! This is the time to drive through the Azalea trail, where Tylerites splurge on their landscaping bills to turn their already beautiful homes into works of art for visitors from all over the state. Rains will come often, however, and storms with them.

“Tornado Season” in Tyler

Tornado season heats up in April and will continue through June. This can be the scariest season for visitors of Tyler, but residents take it all in the stride. Here’s what you need to know about tornadoes: a Tornado Watch simply means that weather conditions are favorable for making tornadoes. The components are there, in other words. This is nothing to freak out about. You could be under a tornado watch for 5 days straight. That’s okay.

A Tornado Warning is something else. A Warning is issued when a funnel cloud has been seen “touching down” by somebody in your county. That is Smith County, if you’re living in or around Tyler. When this happens, school children will be taken out of class into the designated bunker. If there is no underground safe place, they will go to the same type of place you should: an interior room with no windows and no class.

But even tornado warnings are no time for panic. Smith County is a big place. The sighting could well be 30 miles away. And even if it isn’t, tornadoes usually aren’t like the ones you’ve seen on those news reports. They’re generally not a half mile wide. They’re generally much, much smaller. They are incredibly dangerous, don’t get me wrong. They can do everything people say they can, so don’t take stupid chances during a tornado warning. But don’t panic, either. The chances of you actually getting hit are very small. When I was in school, we ended up in the safe bunker at least once a year. The little kids would cry, and the big kids would play cards and laugh. It is no big deal for residents who have spent any time in tornado alley.

And slowly, the spring storms will blur into the Texas heat as it turns to summer, and the harsh side of Tyler Texas weather comes back. Time again to crank up your air conditioning and stay inside as much as possible because it’s getting hot. And it is NOT a dry heat!