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Tyler Texas Weather

December 17th, 2009

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!”[ad#large-blog-block]

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!

The Texas Rose Festival

November 25th, 2009

The Texas Rose Festival is an annual three-day celebration held in mid-October at the peak of Tyler’s rose season as a means to recognize and remember the importance of the rose growing industry in Tyler’s history. The Texas Rose Festival draws thousands of tourists to Tyler each year and has become an economic boost to the city. Yet as a resident of Tyler, it took me 5 years to investigate any part of the festivities myself. A friend convinced me my darling daughters would love to take part in the Queen’s Tea, dubbed “Tea with the Queen.”

On Thursday, the Texas Rose Festival kicks of with the Queen’s Tea, a massive garden party open to the community, hosted on the Tyler Rose Garden grounds. Visitors are allowed to meet the crowned Rose Queen and the members of her court arrayed in spectacularly lavish royal dresses. Every would-be-princess’s eyes will pop as they enjoy tea and cookies while gazing at the glitter and glory of the bedazzled royalty. They’ll definitely want to pose with a glittering princess, so don’t forget your camera!

Any down side to the Queen’s Tea? My 5 year old was deeply disappointed that she was not actually allowed to sit at an elaborately prepared table and sip tea from delicate floral china, sharing pleasantries with the Queen herself. I quickly decided to skip the long line waiting for a photo op with her majesty and instead maneuver my young princesses toward a lesser royalty clad in an alluring pink dress with gold sparkles (and only three people in line) hoping that would suffice for a scrapbook memory. All was well until the questions forced me into a political tight spot: Are they real princesses?” No. “How do they get to be princesses?” Hmm…“Can I do that someday?” No. Daddy doesn’t make enough money to buy the sequins on the queen’s dress. And the Rose festival is all about money.

You see, it is a well known fact that the Rose Queen can never be a Cinderella. Regular peasant girls need not apply. She is chosen on the basis of financial donations from her family. Even physical attractiveness takes a back seat to the cash. So unless you have already dumped truckloads of money into the city’s pockets and have paid your dues wining and dining the selection committee while your little girl was growing up, she will have no hope competing against the daughters of East Texas royal families like Jack King’s, even if she is twice as congenial and three times as pretty!

Kids on the young side might be overwhelmed or in danger of getting lost in the crowds of the event, so you might want to leave them at home. Unless Junior is old enough to be interested in girls, he would probably want to avoid an ultra girly event like the Queen’s Tea unless the allure of cookies is strong enough. If pressed too long, he may decide to entertain himself in one of the reflection pools to escape all of the pink commotion.

Friday is the exclusive theatrical Coronation of the Rose Queen at the Cowan Center. Tickets are $20-$30 for the matinee, and $45-$60 for the evening extravaganza. (Sorry girls, but the Tea is free.) Other Friday events which require tickets are The Ladies Brunch (tickets sell out way in advance) and the Men’s Lunch ($40).

If Friday night’s excitement is too heavy on the pocketbook, relax, the parade is free. You will have to deal with crowds and traffic, though. The parade begins at Glenwood and Front St. or for a bird’s eye-view and play-by-play commentary, pick up a ticket ($7-10) for a seat in the Trinity Mother Frances Stadium, 700 Fair Park Dr. The Texas Rose Festival Parade winds down the festivities with rose-adorned floats bearing the new royalty, bands, drill teams, Shriners, and the typical parade fare.

Texas Rose Festival Tickets are available at www.texasrosefestival.com.

Tyler Rose Garden

November 24th, 2009

Since Tyler’s claim to fame is the “Rose Capital of the Nation,” the Tyler Rose Garden is a popular landmark many Tylerites like to showcase to out of town guests. Almost 40,000 rose bushes including about 500 varieties of every imaginable hue cover the 14-acre municipal park.

Avid gardeners will enjoy viewing not-yet-patented hardy varieties of roses in the trial garden and gathering new gardening ideas in the award winning IDEA garden. The Heritage Garden allows visitors to step into the past by viewing antique rose varieties, some more than 140 years old. While the roses are the obvious centerpiece, detailed landscaping, simple architecture, meandering pathways, sparkling fountains, reflection pools, quiet seating areas, and many other multi-season plants, provide a year-round spectacle for both young and old alike.

The Tyler Rose Garden is a kid-friendly park. Just be sure to keep your young adventurer on a short leash in case the fountains and shallow pools prove to be an irresistible magnet. Also, remind your young romantics or budding biologists to leave the flowers untouched for other visitors to enjoy.

The Rose Garden is a gorgeous site for weddings, receptions, parties, family gatherings, senior pictures, and photo-opportunities of all kinds. The charming wooden gazebo, colorful floral displays, rustic stonework, and serene reflection pools offer a variety of great backdrops. Call (903) 531-1213 for reservations or for rental information.[ad#large-blog-block]

The Garden is open from dawn until dark, seven days a week, except when occasional pest and disease control requires temporary closure. Best time to visit? The roses typically display their full glory in the spring and during the Rose Garden’s peak season in mid October. Each year, in mid October, the Tyler Rose Garden becomes a focal point of the Texas Rose Festival which draws thousands of visitors during a four-day event-filled Rose Show.

Check out the exhibits at the Tyler Rose Museum right next to the park for a peek into Tyler’s past. The museum chronicles the how Tyler gained its fame as the “Rose Capitol of the Nation” and how the Rose Festival became such a celebrated historical event. “The Attic of Memories” display transports visitors into the past for a taste of every day life in Smith County during the last 100 years. Dazzling, hand-sewn gowns and jewel-studded crowns worn by past Rose Queens create an unforgettable display. Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Sunday 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop on your way out to pick up Texas souvenirs, gifts for the gardener on your list, and other “Rose Capital” memorabilia.

Whether you’re looking for a beautiful backdrop for a special event or a quiet spot to get away from the busyness, the Tyler Rose Garden offers a lovely haven.