Quote:
Originally Posted by Paco505
I think it's interesting when people discuss ABQ weather more rosier than it actually is. It reminds me of how some people talk about San Diego without ever mentioning how many days of fog there are.
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I guess it is all a matter of perspective.
I guess my counter to that perspective is then where in the lower-48 United States would one find significantly better year-round weather than ABQ?
I mean, for my tastes, I probably prefer El Paso / Las Cruces' climate just a tick more than ABQ because I like the stronger element of winter warmth and don't particularly mind hotter summer days, however, that region also experiences the much-talked-of winds.
Most of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic (ex: Atlanta, Memphis, Birmingham, etc.) experiences oppressive summer humidity levels, intense spring and summer storms with all sorts of potential for wind damage, up-and-through tornadoes.
Areas like San Antonio deep in the south of Texas get wickedly hot. The Gulf Coast region (eg: Houston / New Orleans) has absolutely oppressive humidity levels for much of the year, plus the ever-present hurricane potential.
Denver and Salt Lake City get lots of snow and periods of deep cold.
The Pacific Northwest experiences endless days of gray, clouds, and drizzle (and cool temps).
Here in the Upper Midwest? Please. The Northeastern US isn't significantly better than the Upper Midwest.
The plains states experience greater wind than anything ABQ experiences (statistically, Amarillo TX is one of the windiest cities in America) along with harsh temperature extremes, ice storms, extremely severe and dangerous spring storms, etc.
The Sonoran Desert towns (Phoenix and Tucson among others) as well as ol' Las Vegas NV get much of those spring storms and yet also enjoy lengthy, very oppressive summer heat as well.
I guess what I am saying is that sure, ABQ deals with some occasional spring time wind, can occasionally get chilly for bouts in the winter and can toast a bit in the summer. Throw in some occasional flooding during monsoon seasons.
However, when you stack it all up, its just extremely hard to find a significantly more overall year-round climate anywhere in the lower-48 of the US. Some might argue for the lower regions of portions of Southern and Mid- California, and those arguments might have a bit of validity, although only partially in my opinion (and the price tag in living in those areas is steep); others might argue for portions of coastal Florida (not minding the strong humidity levels, harsh spring / summer storms, hurricane potential).
But overall, outside of say, more tropical locales such as in Hawaii, I wouldn't say that there are tremendously many more areas in the US' lower 48 that even come terribly close in terms of year-round pleasantness to the climate and livability.
But it really depends on lifestyle desires. Sure, if one desires gardening, many things are easier to grow in say, Orlando FL than in the high desert. But for people who like to run, bike, or just be outside to take walks, or play with their kids, ABQ's weather year-round is really hard to beat.
Me? I have always found ABQ's spring time winds to be one of the most overrated "downsides" of living in ABQ. I spent much time outside in ABQ - more than most I would argue - as I was an avid runner there, along with other outdoor activities. Sure, a few days got windy. But on average, here in the Milwaukee WI area, spring time winds are actually greater in average strength and frequency than they are in Albuquerque. You just tend to notice it more in ABQ because a) its dry, so dust kicks up far easier, and b) its generally warm or warmish, so you tend to be out and about in it rather than huddled in a parka running from your car into a heated house.
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