Your comments, please, on...CA Dream Fizzling Out (Victorville, Monterey: tech jobs, university)

[rgb123]

Sounds great to me. I so miss the extreme weather of the midwest! Colorado is mild compared to my hometown of Illinois, tropical compared to Minnesota, and the long winter pales compared to Spokane's long winter.

[yeahthatguy]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Thanks, yeah, CO is a beautiful state. I have to it full credit there. And since nature photography is my hobby I spent many days like this one freezing my tail off to get the shot.

However on this particular Fall day my family (wife, three kids and mother-in-law) weren't so thrilled to be out there taking in the beautiful view. This day was much colder than it looks. The snow was heavy and driving almost sideways.

Here's another similar day with heavy snow in October:




Derek

Yeah I grew up in a state where all the seasons seemed the same... Have had the opportunity to live in many others where there are actual distinct seasons and while some seasons can be very annoying... I dunno, there is something beautiful about the dynamic changes. Thanks for sharing your photos !

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by rgb123

Sounds great to me. I so miss the extreme weather of the midwest! Colorado is mild compared to my hometown of Illinois, tropical compared to Minnesota, and the long winter pales compared to Spokane's long winter.

That's funny that you say this because it relates back to my first comment on this thread. It all really boils down to one thing - perspective.

We have friends in CO who would say the same thing. CO weather is mild coming from Minnesota. Well for them it was, relatively speaking. They were used to long Winters, freezing temps for much of the year, driving in the snow over black ice, scraping windshields, shoveling snow, winterizing their pipes, etc... That was just a way of life.

However if you are coming from warmer states such as CA, FL, AZ, HI, etc... Colorado weather is nothing less than extreme. When you live ~6000'+ on the continental divide anything (snow, large hail, freezing rain, lightning, thunder, white outs, extreme winds, streets/basements flooding) can and does happen and fast! IMO there is nothing Mild about CO's wild weather unless compared to a harsher/colder climate somewhere else. But regardless, some like it that way - keep Colorado wild!







Derek

[Count David]

The day-to-day (February):



The ice I have to cross to get into my condo (for 2 months a year):



April:

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by user_id

... I have no idea if the ratio has shifted over time, but 9 out of 10 leaving is not even close to being consistent with my experience.

How recent is your experience, and is it with engineering grad students?

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

How recent is your experience, and is it with engineering grad students?

Weren't you asked to document your assertion?
I have been waiting patiently.

[cl723]

MTnsurfer, ya I'm in denial... You obviously don't when it snows in every city of Colorado because there are parts of the Western Slope that don't get snow until Nov and typically western Co's last snow is in Feb. I say typically because this year we had a dusting in March. April is usually great weather on parts of the western slope. May is warm.Guess you don't know everything about Co weather.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by cl723

MTnsurfer, ya I'm in denial... You obviously don't when it snows in every city of Colorado because there are parts of the Western Slope that don't get snow until Nov and typically western Co's last snow is in Feb. I say typically because this year we had a dusting in March. April is usually great weather on parts of the western slope. May is warm.Guess you don't know everything about Co weather.

Well, I am speaking of the major cities and other places where most of the state lives and works including its capital. LoDo was the point of reference for the twitter post. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. What you are saying applies to most states. There are certain areas in CA which see more snow than most CO cities see such as Tahoe and Mammoth. We also have higher 14ers in our Sierra range which some Coloradans don't appreciate. In the same way there are parts of the PNW which are sunny more than cloudy - the eastern side. But these are the exceptions to the primary areas where most residents live. I'm well aware of Western CO. Places near Grand Junction are favored by retirees because of this milder weather than the majority of the state. Although it still does snow farmers plant more fruit in this area. Its not a big surprise or secret. Its just not the norm when looking at CO demographics as a whole.

Here the CD snow chart for Grand Junction:



vs. Denver:



Notice something different? How about length of snow season or rather the short other season (thunderstorm). Yet the center of commerce, majority of companies, jobs and residents choose the Eastern Slope. I'm not saying it's better. I think the western side has a lot to offer if one can find some work or is a retiree.

Derek

[bentstrider]

I still believe with the right education and job that one could still thrive here healthfully.
However, if you're not that much of brainiac from the get-go like myself and require lengthy remediation, the over-crowding at the JC/CC level here isn't really going to help matters all that much.

Like someone mentioned earlier, Stanford brain-power came here to roost from other states. Possibly states where education at all levels didn't have much of an over-crowding and resource issue as CA presently does.

I say if you want to thrive here, consider getting educated in a less stressful environment, graduate, get employed elsewhere, then come back when your experience level has made you attractive.

As for myself, the hobbies and activities I've chosen to undertake aren't looked down upon in other neighboring states as they are in CA.
The ride was nice, but it's time for a new whip.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

How recent is your experience, and is it with engineering grad students?

The experience is from the last decade and its with both math and computer science students (both undergrad and grad).