Report Names 'Sweatiest' U.S. City

Reuters ^ | 6-21-2002

[Cagey]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Every year there's a new one: Most livable U.S. city, friendliest city, town with the best manners. Now comes the first annual sweatiest city award.

Top honors go to San Antonio, Texas.

On a typical summer day, San Antonio residents lose more than 1 liter of perspiration per hour during exercise such as walking, the announcement said.

Dallas-Ft. Worth, New Orleans, Houston and West Palm Beach, Florida, fleshed out the top five sweatiest cities.

The list was released on Thursday by Procter & Gamble's Old Spice Red Zone deodorant, apparently in a sweat to produce some first-day-of-summer publicity.

It was based, the announcement said, on the average high temperature and humidity during June, July and August in the 50 cities reviewed. Based on this the company estimated the sweat produced by walking one hour each day.

"Although some view sweat as embarrassing, it is necessary to keep the body cool," said Mark Davis, described as a perspiration expert for Old Spice, which said it is sending the mayor of San Antonio a case of its Red Zone.

The five least sweaty cities were in order: Barrow, Alaska, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and Los Angeles.

[Stand Watch Listen]

That's easy...any city Al Gore is in.

[Cagey]

During a particularly dry spell, legend has it, a sad Texan once prayed, "I wish it would rain - not so much for me, I've seen it - but for my 7-year-old."

[Aggie Mama]

This was in my email box this morning; very appropriate. =)


You know you are in TEXAS during the summertime when:

The best parking place is determined by shade instead
of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can make sun tea instantly.

You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good
branding iron.

The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little
chilly.

You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

You discover that you can get sunburned through your
car window.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get
knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

The birds have to use pot holders to pull worms out of the ground.

The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt, and pepper.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk.

[lonestar]

Have you ever been to Vegas and not had a nosebleed? I have to bathe in lotion west of Texas.

[El Sordo]

Whoa.

I grew up in the barren lands of Eastern Washington. My idea of high humidity is 30%.

[Night Hides Not]

Darn tootin! I live in the Metroplex, and we're having a mild summer so far. (Forget the calendar - summer starts in May around here!)

I'll never forget my first summertime visit to Houston...it was for a state bowling tournament. This bowling center had an airlock-type system, i.e. two sets of doors. I'll never forget that first venture into the 'airlock'. Whooooweee! I went from cool air conditioned comfort to 95 degrees & 95% humidity in a nanosecond.

Houston definitely gets my vote!

[LurkerNoMore!]

We're rank, and we rank!

[Blue Screen of Death]

Great tee shirt. Doesn't she realize that flat screens are the "in" thing now.

[FreeTally]

Oh, come on. Texas can not compete with areas of extremely high humidity like Florida, Louisiana or Mississippi. I'll take Texas heat anyday over what we have here in the panhandle of Florida. Typical day in June-September: High temperature of 95-99, with humidity of 60% to 100%. Heat index correlates to a temperature of 105-115 degrees.

[moyden]

In a related story, my wife recently named me "Sweatiest Husband".

[Hap]

You're exactly right! The only reason I have moisturizer is for my yearly trip to Vegas!

We may be sweatin' down here in Houston but at least we won't look like saddlebags with eyes when we get older. :)

[Aggie Mama]

That's Houston weather you just described. Anyplace along the Gulf Coast is going to have the same weather.

[okie01]

"San Antone has the title-- but Texans know better!"

There is a reason why we all know Houston as "Sweat City". The title is earned...

[mhking]

I like it! (although She-who-must-be-obeyed would slap me in the back of my head if she caught me WHAP! leering WHAP! studying WHAP! glancing WHAP! um...attempting to read(?)... said shirt...)

[FreeTally]

Yeh, I would guess so. I was just thinking San Antonio wouldn't share that weather since it is further inland.

[PhiKapMom]

I know! In CA when we were at Norton AFB, I used to go through tons of lotion. Since living in TX and now in OK, my skin hardly ever dries out.

[PhiKapMom]

Thinking about the article, it doesn't even make sense to put a city in the south center of the State of Texas as #1 when Houston sits on the coast. Not to mention, the Texas Hill Country where there is always a breeze and cooler in the shade is 22 miles up I-10 starting in Boerne where I lived. The Riverwalk is always nice IMHO!

Have been at Fiesta Texas and Astroworld in the middle of summer and there is no comparison -- Astroworld won hands down for hot and humid!

[Romulus]

residents lose more than 1 liter of perspiration per hour

Perspiration ain't sweat, my friend. No matter how hot it gets, with low dew points San Antonio will never be as sweaty as New Orleans -- the only city on the list that's effectively surrounded by a shallow pool of warm water.

[Romulus]

In new orleans, ...

It's not the heat; it's the stupidity.