Comment by burnt-resistor
1 day ago
Car temperature sensors tend to be inaccurate because they're often in the Sun or some other place affected by baking a car not in a garage.
Check a thermometer in the shade. The weather data stations reported an average of 101 ℉ / 38 ℃ for Waco. It's hot, and especially feels worse with Southern subtropical humidity. OTOH, 101 in California with 0-15% humidity, it would just be a bit annoying. Higher humidity makes heat qualitatively exponentially worse until it's a sauna.
I'm aware of this phenomenon and it's why I specified "the car said". However, I find it a more useful temperature reading if that's where I'm spending my time - walking around on the street.
Knowing what the temperature is at a far-flung regional airport in a shaded housing is not especially interesting to me. I understand the scientific value of collecting that data, but just in terms of lived experience.
And yes, I live in SoCal where it's rarely above 20% humidity when this hot, which is why I was whining about it there. :)
I'm not blaming, I'm just saying it's usually an upper estimate. Although, in winter prior to warm up, it could be below ambient.
SoCal anywhere near the coast of LA-SD, people complain if it's not 66-73 ℉ like they're dying. ;D
I attended UCD where the inland valley by Sac could be 110 ℉ @ 5% humidity, so it was hot-ish but not bad. There, it's easy to get dehydrated, as opposed to somewhere like NYC, Florida, or here where summers include free in-clothing showers and saunas. :)
I think mine is under the car, so it registers temps near the road, which can be hot (asphalt in the sun). It’s usually 3-6 degrees (Fahrenheit) high.