by Pluto Pena

It’s February 17th, 2021. We’re at home unable to go anywhere, due to the ice on the roads, and the plummeting temperatures outside. The National Weather Service has issued numerous snow warnings. Now, fast forward to July 11 of that same year. Northeast Texas reached temperatures of 116°F, beating last year’s record of 113°F.

Texas is more than renowned, it is notorious for its neverending bipolar weather. From its sudden decline into freezing temperatures to its scorching heat in the summer, people of the Lone Star State have varying opinions of the weather.

In a poll taken recently, 11 out of 27 participants said they didn’t like the weather. Of those 11, more than half said it was because of the fluctuating weather. Participants said things like “Super bipolar, never consistent, and change too much.”

When asked what the best season in Texas was, 14 people said Winter, 11 people said Fall or Spring, and 2 said Summer. For the participants who answered Winter, it was observed that the majority favored cold weather, and others simply preferred it to the heat. Other answers included little to no bugs, no humidity, certain wildlife, and balanced equilibrium of warmth and cold. For the participants who answered summer, it was the ability to partake in activities you wouldn’t be able to in the winter, and not being a fan of the cold.

When it came to the worst season in Texas, 17 of the 27 participants said Summer was the worst, and 7 said Winter. And 3 said Fall or Spring. For those who said Summer, almost all the answers were that it was way too hot. Other answers included that the heat can be damaging, and the humidity is awful. For those who answered Winter as the worst season, many stated they simply didn’t like the cold. Other answers included that they aren’t prepared for the cold and neither is the state, bringing up this year’s snowstorm. And for those who answered either Spring or Fall, the majority said it was because it is when the weather fluctuates the most.

For participants from out of state, they were asked their opinion on the weather. Many said they didn’t mind, saying it was a mix of everything, but others thought badly of it. Many responses said things Texas is too hot, the temperatures don’t match the seasons, and, yet again, the fluctuating weather during the Fall and the Spring.

For the final question, participants were asked what they dread the most every year. Over half the participants said it was the heat. The most common answers after that were the cold, and the ice. The reasons for answering the heat were pretty straightforward: it’s hot. For those who answered the cold and the ice, answers consisted of a lack of preparation, saying their heaters up the energy bill, and playing Slip and Slide with their cars.