2011 was just a really bad year, a record 90 days over 100 (previous record was 67). But the heat's not the only thing to consider. Austin averages 300 days of sunshine each year, while Seattle has only 58.
Yeah but 242 of those days are too hot to do anything. So it's kind of a wash you know?
EDIT TO ADD:
Look I'm not saying that Seattle's weather is perfect, nor that there is a perfect location, but whatever Austin is doing with its weather, it sure as hell aint winning.
That's not true. I love the warm weather - and absolutely dread overcast/rainy. I don't have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but to say that the sun doesn't brighten my day would be wrong.
Seattle is closer to Hawaii. I've found Seattle to have acceptable sun by spending a few weeks out of the year vacationing to Hawaii or California. Summer in Seattle is so much better than Summer in Texas; it's the rainy winter that you have to break up.
I lived in the Seattle area for many many years, and it got plenty of sun, summer and winter, and most of the non-sunny weather was best described as "mild." Moreover, on sunny days, it's not oppressively hot most of the time. The area's rep for bad weather is pretty undeserved (yeah I know the joke "shhh, don't tell, some Californians might hear!").
I don't like Seattle for cultural reasons, but the climate is very nice.
