Austin has the proud distinction of being placed on a new “best of” or “top 10” list nearly every week. Last week we were named the number one city for food trucks, but every now and then we land on lists that aren’t so great. These aren’t the types of things that Austin would want to put in the accomplishments section of a resume, though could definitely help with one of those “don’t move here” campaigns.
The latest list that gives us a little bit of a blush is our 4th place ranking on Honeywell Fans’ list of America’s Sweatiest Cities. Somehow Austin managed to be the only Texas city on the list. North Carolina, however, had the lovely distinction of having the top two cities on the list, Charlotte (#1) and Raleigh (#2).
The press release goes on to explain more of the methodology, which ends up being just as confusing as the rest of the top 10 list:
Using updated criteria as well as data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, we looked at a range of environmental factors to pinpoint ‘hot spots’ across the country,” said Dr. Ted Myatt, ScD. “The study factored in the average summer temperatures of each city and proximity to large bodies of water. Fitness and recreational sports facilities, as well as sports teams per capita were also considered for the rankings, knowing that more frequent exercise and crowded sporting events lead to a city’s overall sweatiness.
Here’s the full list that they created. No Phoenix? Anyone who has ever been to Phoenix in the summer knows that it should always be at the top of any list that involves sweat. Oh well…
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Raleigh, N.C.
- St. Louis, Mo.
- Austin, Texas
- Richmond, Va.
- Miami, Fla.
- Minneapolis, Minn.
- Orlando, Fla.
- Tampa, Fla.
- Kansas City, Mo.
This is the second year that Honeywell has partnered with Dr. Ted Myatt, ScD, an environmental health scientist, to identify these sweaty cities “where hot and sticky converge to create a significant sweat factor,” notes the press release. Austin was not on last year’s top 10 list, though both Dallas and Houston were.
So what’s changed in the past year to make Austin shoot to the top of this list and Dallas and Houston drop off completely? Well, if the past month is any indication it’s because we’ve been waiting outside for cabs longer since Uber and Lyft are gone and we’ve been woefully dry with Barton Springs and the lakes closed due to flooding. Or maybe it’s an increase in consumption of Diablo sauce from Torchy’s — “but it’s a good sweat.”
Either way, a little bit of perspiration never stopped a true Austinite from going out and enjoying a beautiful summer day outside. Austin.com has you covered when it comes to keeping cool in the summer. There are plenty of natural swimming holes for you to cannonball into, as well as plenty of other summer activities that will make you forget that you’re bogged down in sweat. Cold beverages like this new pool/beach/lake-friendly can from Mighty Swell definitely help take some of the heat off (or at least make us forget that we’re hot).
And to keep up with the weather forecast in the most giftastic way possible, be sure to like our page at ATX Weather.
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Featured photo from Wikipedia, Creative Commons licensed
