In a poll posted on Nextdoor, the Statesman asked Austin-area residents whether it was “definitely,” “a little,” “about the same” or “absolutely not” less brutal, temperature-wise, than usual.
A majority of respondents, 29% or 123, said it was “definitely” less brutal than usual, with the next highest number, 28% or 117, saying it feels “about the same,” while 24% or 103 reported “a little.”
Only 19% of respondents, or 82, said the heat was “absolutely not” less brutal than usual.
“This summer has felt a lot more like summers I remember from the 80s,'” one respondent wrote. “So, year, less brutal than our drought years, ‘normal’ we’ve been experiencing the last dozen years or so.”
Another pointed out the unseasonable “summer cool front,” suggesting the Statesman ask again next week when it will get warmer as the high pressure moves back over the city.
The respondent was likely referring to a longer-range forecast guidance that increasingly hinted at the high pressure responsible for the heat could shift westward as August arrived, opening the door for a weak summer cold front or at least slightly lower temperatures throughout this past week.
This comes after late July was marked by heat index values between 100 and 107 degrees, with afternoon highs in the upper 90s to around 100 degrees, and humidity driving the triple-digit indexes.